De Saisset Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1955 |
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| Location | Santa Clara, California, U.S. |
| Type | Art museum |
| Accreditation | American Association of Museums |
| Founder | Isabel de Saisset |
The de Saisset Museum is a cool place to explore art and history. It's located at Santa Clara University in California. The museum first opened its doors in 1955. This happened because Isabel de Saisset, who was the last person in a famous California family, left her property to the university.
Today, the museum has almost 10,000 pieces of art and historical items. These include paintings by Ernest de Saisset, an early California artist who also went to Santa Clara University. There's also a big collection of items from California missions. The de Saisset Museum recently updated its storage areas. It is open to everyone, and it's free to visit!
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About the Museum Building
The museum building is about 19,210 square feet in size. It stands right in front of Mission Santa Clara de Asís. The building has been part of the university campus since 1955. It is one of only two museums in the San Jose area that is approved by the American Alliance of Museums. This means it meets high standards for museums.
The museum is inside a three-story building. It looks like other buildings on the Santa Clara campus, with a style called Mission Style. You can see the de Saisset family symbol above the main entrance.
What You'll Find Inside
The ground floor has a main entrance area. It also has several rooms for special exhibits that change over time. There's a large hall for talks and activities too. Upstairs, you'll find more exhibits from the museum's permanent collection. The basement shows historical items and more art. It also has special drawers where you can view many European prints.
Museum History
The de Saisset Family Story
The de Saisset family played a big part in the museum's creation. Pedro de Alcântara Brasileiro de Saisset was born in Paris, France. He came to France around the time of the California gold rush. He wanted to make money from the new wealth in the area.
While in California, he worked as a representative for France in San Jose. He also started the Brush Electric Light Corporation in San Jose. Pedro de Saisset married Maria de Jesus Palomares. They had four children together: Henrietta, Ernest, Pierre, and Isabel.
Henrietta was the only child who got married. None of the children had kids of their own. Ernest was the oldest son. He started studying at Santa Clara College when he was sixteen. He studied there for three years and was good at French and drawing. In his last year, Ernest studied painting with a teacher named Fr. Bartholomew Tortone.
Because there weren't many art teachers in California back then, the de Saisset family sent Ernest to Paris. He studied art more at Académie Julian. He came back to California in 1895 but sadly passed away four years later in 1899.
How the Museum Began
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Before she passed away in 1950, Isabel de Saisset told the president of Santa Clara University her wish. She wanted to give the university her family's land and art collection. This was so they could build an art gallery and museum. She also donated many of her personal items, like jewelry, silver, and tapestries.
The museum officially opened in 1955. Since then, the museum has added many more items to its collections. These items come from the United States and other countries around the world.
What You Can See in the Collection
Some of the most important parts of the de Saisset's permanent collection include prints from different art periods. These include Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo art. You can see works by famous artists like Albrecht Dürer, William Hogarth, and Giovanni Battista Piranesi.
The museum also has modern prints. These include art by Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso. The de Saisset Museum also has important collections of modern prints and photographs.
See also
