Musée National Picasso

Paris

The Musée National Picasso, housed in a beautiful 17th century mansion, contains an awesome collection of the iconic artist’s paintings, drawings, sculptures and engravings - a collection to the tune of 5000 artifacts.

Musée Picasso does an excellent job displaying pieces that represent the various techniques and periods in which Picasso worked and from which he drew immense inspiration.

I love the museum in that it presents just enough Picasso for one afternoon without overwhelming the visitor. However, you must return because the museum periodically adds to and subtracts from works on display.

The structure housing the Musée National Picasso was actually at one time a private mansion called the Hôtel Salé. Salé meaning “salt” in French and referring to the mansion’s original owner, Pierre Aubrey who acquired his fortune by collecting taxes on salt for the French crown.

Hôtel Salé was built between 1656 and 1660. The architectural style being Italian Baroque. The building was awarded historic monument status in 1968. Major renovations took place between 1979 and 1985.

Original architect - Jean Boullier

Renovation architect - Roland Simounet

Original sculpted work and staircase:

- Gaspard Marsh

• Balthazar Marat

• Martin Desjardins

Save money and avoid standing in long lines by buying the Paris Museum Pass or the Paris City Pass. Both passes allow visitors to enter over 50 different museums in Paris for one low price.

Finally, as of this writing (September 2021), all museums in France have specific entry requirements due to Covid 19. All new policies and protocol can be found on the museum’s website.

Musée National Picasso

5 rue de Thorigny

Paintings:

• Portrait de Dora Maar (1937)

• Le Sculpteur (1931)

• La Célestine (1904)

• Femme Aussie (1920)

• Reclining Nude (1932)

• Passage de Juan-Les-Pins (1920)

• Nature Morte Verre Sous La Lampe (’62)

• Enfant jouant avec camion (1953)