The Beau Siècle

May 1674. Louis XIV personally attended the capture of Besançon. The old free city, finally conquered, became the capital of the province of Franche-Comté. This marked the beginning of an exceptional period of 120 years, during which economic, demographic, political and religious activity developed and created the conditions for an unprecedented boom in artistic production. This vitality and artistic life, which has been documented only occasionally up to now, is the starting point for the exhibition "Le Beau Siècle", presented at the Museum of Fine Arts and Archaeology from November 10, 2022 to March 19, 2023.