For lovers of art and history a visit to the Musee Picasso in Le Marais district of Paris is a must. The gallery houses over five thousand of Picasso’s works including paintings, ceramics and sculptures, alongside a number of pieces from Picasso’s own personal art collection from renowned artists such as Cezanne, Degas, Renoir and Matisse. Many of the works were donated to the museum by Picasso’s family after his death, in lieu of inheritance taxes under French law.
The building itself is a little slice of history and is one of the most spectacular in the Marais and is worth a visit to admire the light filled spaces and sweeping staircases.
In addition to the regular works on display, there are also a number of frequent temporary exhibitions at the gallery so make sure you check out what is on before your visit.
There is so much to see at the museum and one of our favourite pieces was not a painting at all, but rather a letter from one of our favourite French composers, Erik Satie.
For most of us, owning an original Picasso work may be out of reach, however the museum shop has some wonderful prints and gifts that make great souvenirs from your trip to Paris.
After a wonderful morning spent in the gallery, a wander through the Marais followed by lunch at one of the restaurants in the area is a perfect way to spend a day in the French capital. For more information visit Musee Picasso.
What a fabulous post! I’m taking my mom to Paris next year for her first time out of the country for her 70th birthday – this looks like a wonderful to-do to add to our list. Thanks!
Wow, what a wonderful trip you will have! And how lovely to be able to take your mom to Paris for a milestone birthday. Definitely try and fit it in to your plans, we loved the fact that it was a smaller gallery with some incredible works and not as busy as some of the other Paris galleries and museums – and Le Marais is such a great area to people watch, shop and eat. Enjoy!
This is one of my favourite galleries in Paris. Wandering through the gallery in chronological order, you can see by his paintings, the state of his mind. Amazing insight. 😍
It’s a great gallery, one of our favourites too
That staircase is something else, isn’t it!
It sure is!