Picasso Museum in Paris: from the origins to the present

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

The entertainment of the French capital is not limited to the romance of the Eiffel Tower and fresh croissants. A large number of attractions are concentrated in it, and along with the famous Louvre, the Picasso Museum in Paris occupies a significant place in the history of the country. Here are the works of the most famous Spanish artist who influenced the development of the art of the XX century.

The gallery is completely dedicated to the works of Pablo Picasso - hundreds of paintings written in various genres, sculptures, ceramics and the works of the favorite artists of this great man. Visitors to the museum can easily follow the artist's entire career, from sketches by a poor Spanish student to great works in the last years of his life.

Museum Building

The museum is located in the mansion "Hotel Sale". Now it is a historical building, which is under state protection. The mansion was built in 1659 with the participation of architects who had a hand in the creation of the royal Louvre, for the businessman Pierre Aubert. The first owner of the palace made his fortune by taxing s alt. Actually, the idea of the name was drawn from this fact (from French the name of the mansion is translated as "s alty"). However, the fame of the businessman was short-lived - already in 1661 he was ruined, and his palace began its history.

During the entire period of its existence, the modern Pablo Picasso Museum in Paris has changed many owners. Since 1668, for about 20 years, the palace belonged to the Embassy of Venice, and in the 19th century it turned into a school of arts and crafts. Only in the 60s of the XX century, the mansion was transferred to the city hall, and in 1974 it was taken by the state on a hundred-year lease from the Parisian administration. Then the restoration of the building lasted about 11 years - the task was to restore the object without affecting its historical character. This place was not chosen by chance for the museum - historians know that Picasso loved beautiful buildings with atmospheric architecture and a deep past.

A bit of history

The first idea to create a museum dedicated to the works of Picasso arose in 1975 - already 2 years after his death. The city where the creation of an extensive collection was planned was not chosen by chance. It was in Paris that the Spanish creator established himself as an artist, acquired a fortune and lived most of his life.

The museum opened in 1985. Despite his short life, he managed to acquire an interesting story. The official opening took place only 10 years after the emergence of this idea due tolack of artist's work. It turned out to be extremely difficult to find Picasso's creations; even in the treasuries of eminent collectors, his paintings came across extremely rarely. And all because the artist did not like to sell his paintings - he left all his treasures to posterity.

The fate of heritage

The Minister of Culture André Malraux, who gained fame at that time, was concerned about the fate of the works of the famous artist. He was sure that after the death of Picasso, all his masterpieces would be distributed around the world and quietly settled in private collections. The Minister by all means influenced the legislation of that time. So there was an addition in the form of an increased tax rate on inheritance. Now descendants, instead of large sums of money, could pay the state with works of art.

After the death of the artist, the value of his legacy, even according to rough estimates, was estimated at a billion francs. His last wife, Jacqueline Roque, and son, Paulo, became the full owners of the property, who did not have the funds to pay the hefty tax on paintings. Therefore, a commission was created to determine the list of works that would go to France. The assortment was huge, so it was decided to take only absolute masterpieces.

Brilliant works

It was thanks to the artist's family that the first unique collection was created, which replenished the Picasso Museum in Paris. The works were supplemented by another portion of paintings in 1990, when the artist's widow died. Since then, the gallery has been gradually replenished with single copies,which were kindly provided by the owners of private collections.

Now the Picasso Museum in Paris has an extensive collection of 5,000 copies and tens of thousands of archival documents. More than 200 paintings, about 1500 drawings, sculptures, engravings, ceramics and Picasso's experimental creations are offered to the attention of visitors. There is also an exhibition with personal photographs, where the artist is depicted with his family.

After restoration

In 2009, the global restoration of the museum began. It lasted 5 years. The updated Picasso Museum in Paris had its official opening on October 25, 2014. The date successfully coincided with the anniversary of the birth of the great artist. The lengthy restructuring of the building expanded the area by 3 times, which made it possible to enlarge the gallery. The museum was supplemented by the personal collection of the genius, which included paintings by other famous artists.

The interior of the mansion is adorned with furniture made by designer Diego Giacometti to decorate the Picasso Museum in Paris. The authorities spent $52,000,000 on the reconstruction. This is one and a half times more than planned.

Address and opening hours

The third arrondissement of the French capital is full of outstanding sights, the Picasso Museum in Paris has also found its place here. The address where you can find the Sale mansion is as follows: Mare district, Torini street 5. The easiest way to get to the museum is by metro (train line 8, get off at St. Paul station) or by bus (routes No. 29, 96, 69, 75).

Thisthe attraction is quite easy to find - every local resident will tell you where the Picasso Museum in Paris is located. The exposition is open from 9.30 to 18.00 every day except Tuesday. Weekend 2 times a year - January 1 and December 25.