Musée Picasso facts for kids

Picasso Museum, Paris, (Hotel Salé, 1659)

Picasso Museum, Paris, main entrance

The Musée Picasso (which means Picasso Museum in English) is a famous art gallery in Paris, France. It's located in a beautiful old building called the Hôtel Salé in the Marais area. This museum is all about the amazing art of the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso (1881–1973).

The museum has more than 5,000 pieces of art by Picasso. These include paintings, sculptures, drawings, and ceramics. It also holds thousands of items from Picasso's personal collection. This includes his photos, letters, and notes. Most of these items were given by Picasso's family after he died in 1973. Picasso lived in France for many years, from 1905 until his death.

The Museum Building: Hôtel Salé

The grand house that holds the museum is called an hôtel particulier. This means a large, private townhouse. It was built between 1656 and 1659 for a man named Pierre Aubert. He was a "tax farmer," which meant he collected taxes for the government. He got very rich from collecting the "salt tax" (called gabelle). That's why the building is named "Salé," which means "salted."

The architect who designed it was Jean Boullier. Famous sculptors like Gaspard and Balthazard Marsy worked on it too. Many people think it's one of the most beautiful old houses in the Marais district.

History of the Hôtel Salé

The mansion has had many owners over the years. For a time, it was the Embassy of the Republic of Venice. Later, it became a school where the famous writer Balzac studied. In 1829, it housed a well-known engineering school.

The City of Paris bought the building in 1964. It was then recognized as a historic monument in 1968. Experts carefully restored the mansion between 1974 and 1980.

Choosing the Museum's Home

The Hôtel Salé was chosen to be the Musée Picasso after much discussion. A competition was held to find the best design for the museum inside the building. Roland Simounet's plan was chosen in 1976. He worked to bring back the mansion's original spacious feel.

Picasso's Art Collection

Pablo Picasso, 1918, Portrait d'Olga dans un fauteuil (Olga in an Armchair)

Picasso once said, "I am the greatest collector of Picassos in the world." He had collected a huge amount of his own work by the time he died in 1973. This included everything from sketchbooks to finished masterpieces.

How the Collection Was Formed

In 1968, France made a special law. It allowed families to pay inheritance taxes with works of art instead of money. This is called a dation. It's only allowed if the art is very important to French culture.

After Picasso died, his family used this law. A museum expert named Dominique Bozo chose the artworks that would become the "dation Picasso." This collection includes Picasso's work from all his different periods and styles. It's especially known for its amazing sculptures. When Picasso's last wife, Jacqueline Picasso, died, her daughter also donated art to pay taxes. The museum has also bought many works and received gifts.

Stair hall (escalier d'honneur) of the Hôtel Salé

The Musée Picasso now has over 5,000 artworks by Picasso. This includes 3,700 works on paper, ceramics, and sculptures. The museum also displays Picasso's own personal art collection. He collected works by other famous artists like Cézanne, Degas, and Matisse. He also collected Iberian bronzes and African art, which greatly inspired his own work.

Displaying the Art

The museum mostly shows Picasso's art in order of when he created it. You can see his paintings, drawings, sculptures, and prints. There are also photos, notes, and newspaper clippings. These help you understand more about Picasso's life and work. The museum even shows cartoons that made fun of Picasso's art in the 1950s.

The second floor has a special area for temporary exhibits. The third floor holds the museum's library and research department.

Museum Management

Funding the Museum

More than 5,000 artworks were given by Picasso's family after his death in 1973. This was done under the law that allows art to be used instead of tax payments. More donations came from the family of Picasso's last wife, Jacqueline Roque. Since 1985, the museum has bought over 1,000 more artworks.

The museum director, Anne Baldassari, helped raise money for a big renovation. She did this by sending artworks to be shown in other countries. The museum earned millions of euros from touring exhibitions. These tours helped pay for the museum's makeover. The exhibitions went to places like San Francisco, Shanghai, and Sydney. The museum now expects to pay for most of its yearly costs itself.

Changes in Leadership and Reopening

In 2014, the French Minister of Culture, Aurélie Filippetti, changed the museum's director. A new director, Laurent Le Bon, reopened the museum in September 2014. This was after a five-year renovation that cost about €52 million.

Museum Expansion

The museum's public space almost tripled in size after the renovation. Staff offices were moved to a new building. The expansion project started in 2009 and was supposed to take two years. However, it grew bigger and took longer than planned.

After being closed for five years, the museum finally reopened its doors on October 25, 2014.

See also

In Spanish: Museo Picasso de París para niños

• Museu Picasso (Barcelona)
• Museo Picasso Málaga
• List of single-artist museums