Musée Thomas-Henry, Cherbourg

The Musee Thomas-Henry in Cherbourg is one of Normandy's finest art museums, named after the local art collector who donated its founding works in the 1830s. The collection centers on French painting from the 17th through 19th centuries, with a special emphasis on Jean-Francois Millet, who was born nearby in Gruchy. His portraits, self-portrait, and landscapes of the Norman coast fill an entire section.

Jacques-Louis David's Patroclus, a powerful Neoclassical study of the fallen Greek hero, is the museum's most famous single work. Nicolas Poussin's Pieta adds a Baroque counterpoint. The museum reopened in 2016 after renovations and sits in the city center, a short walk from the harbor. For a small regional museum, the quality of the paintings here is surprisingly high.