Female Artists of the Mougins Museum

The Female Artists of the Mougins Museum (FAMM) is a private art museum located in Mougins, Provence, France, near Cannes. Dedicated exclusively to art created by women, the institution showcases a collection of over 100 artworks, including paintings, sculptures, and photographs, by approximately 80 artists from around the world. The holdings span major artistic movements from the late 19th century to the present, ranging from Impressionism to Contemporary art. Founded by the British collector Christian Levett, the museum opened in June 2024 to celebrate the historical and modern contributions of women to the arts.

The museum originated from the evolution of Christian Levett's collecting interests, which began in the mid-1990s. Levett previously founded the Mougins Museum of Classical Art (MACM) in 2011, an institution noted for juxtaposing ancient artifacts, such as Egyptian antiquities and Greco-Roman sculptures, with modern and contemporary works. By 2021, Levett was organizing private tours of his Florentine palazzo, which was entirely decorated with works by female artists, and in 2022 he published the book Abstract Expressionism: The Women. Recognizing the persistent underrepresentation of women in art institutions and historical narratives, Levett decided in 2023 to fundamentally shift the focus of his Mougins museum. He transferred many works by female artists from his private collection into a new museum framework, reopening the site in June 2024 as FAMM under the direction of Leisa Paoli.

The permanent exhibition is organized chronologically across four floors, tracing the development of art by women from Impressionism to the present. The ground level begins with Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, transitioning into the dreamlike forms of Surrealism. The first floor is dedicated to abstraction, highlighting post-war Abstract Expressionism and European abstraction. Figurative art occupies the second floor, featuring diverse and expressive styles alongside photography. The visit culminates with a contemporary exhibition of 21st-century artworks. The museum's mission is to expand public knowledge about female artists who were previously known only for a small part of their output, often created within larger, male-dominated movements. FAMM aligns with broader efforts to amplify women's voices in art, drawing comparisons to the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., and the Frauenmuseum in Bonn, Germany.

The collection features Impressionists such as Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzales, and Blanche Hoschede-Monet. Surrealist highlights include Leonor Fini's Les etrangeres (1968), Leonora Carrington's Mid-Day of the Canary (1967), and a plaster corset painted by Frida Kahlo. The abstraction floor features Lee Krasner's Prophecy (1956), Elaine de Kooning's Abstraction #3 (1959), and Yvonne Thomas's Transmutation (1956). Figurative works include Louise Bourgeois's sculpture Nature Study (2007), Alice Neel's painting Jackie Curtis as a Boy (1972), and Marina Abramovic's photograph Carrying the Skeleton (2008). Contemporary pieces feature Tracey Emin's Hurricane (2007), formerly in the George Michael collection, Jenny Saville's work on paper Generation (2012-2014), and Sarah Lucas's sculpture Tit-Cat Down (2012). Additional historical works include Artemisia Gentileschi's A Woman Presenting Her Child to Saint Blaise (circa 1649-50) and Jacqueline Marval's Le fils du roi (1906).

The museum is housed in the former site of the Mougins Museum of Classical Art, situated on rue Commandeur in the historic medieval village of Mougins. Perched on a hilltop in southern France, the site is positioned between the sea and the mountains. Levett chose this village location for his museum, utilizing the existing building to reframe his collection within a space already established as a cultural destination.

FAMM operates as a private museum located in Mougins, France. Under the leadership of director Leisa Paoli, the institution hosts a monthly lecture series called the FAMM Hour, where prominent figures from art and culture discuss the lives of historically significant women. The museum also plans temporary exhibitions, including the first institutional European exhibition for artist Elizabeth Colomba, curated by Simon de Pury and scheduled for 2025/2026.