Musée Picasso

The Musée Picasso, located in the historic Hôtel Salé in the Marais district of Paris, is a must-visit for art enthusiasts. The museum is dedicated to the works of the renowned Spanish artist, Pablo Picasso, who lived in France from 1905 to 1973. It houses over 5,000 works of art including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, prints, and engravings, along with tens of thousands of archived pieces from Picasso's personal collection. The building itself, built between 1656 and 1659, is considered one of the finest historic houses in the Marais. It has served various purposes over the centuries, from housing the Embassy of the Republic of Venice to being a school where Balzac studied. After a contentious debate, it was chosen to house the Musée Picasso and was restored to its former grandeur. The museum's collection was formed largely through a law that allowed heirs to pay inheritance taxes with works of art, leading to significant donations from Picasso's family after his death. The museum follows a chronological sequence of Picasso's work and also includes works by other artists from Picasso's personal collection. After a five-year renovation, the museum reopened in 2014, nearly tripling its public space.