SHEN QI
The editor of the online tourist guide notes that Jean-Baptiste Eugène Corbin was an important figure in the city of Nancy. Son of Antoine Corbin, founder of Magasins Réunis, Eugène Corbin was both a company director and a great patron of the arts. Passionate about art in all its forms, he collected many works by artists of the École de Nancy. In 1935, he bequeathed part of his collection to the city of Nancy, which is displayed in a wing of the Galeries Poirel. After being stored in Nancy's former abattoirs, the works returned to the Poirel galleries in 1948, but were no longer shown to the public. The solution was found in 1951-1952, when the municipality purchased the former Corbin property to house part of the collections, with a partial opening to the public in 1954. Eugène Corbin died in 1952, but his generosity and patronage of artists in Lorraine and the City of Nancy are still remembered. The Musée de l'École de Nancy bears his name in recognition of his contribution.
