 |
Musée Picasso, Paris, France | |
| The artist's own collection of works—his own, and those of other artists he knew and admired—are in this splendid museum. | ||
|
|
|
The Picasso Museum, in the former Hôtel Salé, houses the largest and best collection of the artist's works anywhere in the world (closed Mondays). Reopened in October 2014 after five long years of renovations, the Picasso Museum now boasts three times the exhibit space of the pre-renovation museum. About the CollectionWhen Pablo Picasso died in 1973, he left an outstanding collection of his paintings, his "personal favorites" numbering some 5000 items, behind. The collection was worth a fortune, and so were the French inheritance taxes on it (Picasso was a resident of France). An arrangement was made by Picasso's estate to donate the paintings, in lieu of taxes, to a new museum to be established in a renovated Renaisance mansion called the Hôtel Salé, built in 1656 in Le Marais (map). In addition to the artist's own paintings, sculptures, ceramics, engravings, and sketches, which number in the thousands, the museum also displays works from Picasso's personal collection of works by other artists including Cézanne, Braque, Degas, and Matisse. It is fascinating to see all these works of art displayed together. Visitors can get a good sense of Picasso's evolution as an artist and of the people and events that influenced him. The Hôtel Salé is now up to its former glory. Be sure to look at the building itself and its beautiful decor.
The museum is very popular and there may be a line to get in, particularly on the first Sunday of the month, when admission is free.
Click here to buy skip-the-line tickets for the Picasso Museum and the Louvre via Tickerbar. Paris Pass and Paris Museum Pass accepted. Closed Mondays. Métro: St-Paul, St-Sébastien Froissart,
or Chemin Vert Musée
Picasso
|
|
Above, Portrait of Marie-Thérès, by Pablo Picasso.
|
