Picasso museum

Picasso was born in 1881 and he began to study art in 1895. During his life he created diverse works: painting, sculpture, drawing, ceramics, engraving, and even poetry. After his death in 1973, many of Picasso's works went to the French state, which decided to form a museum with the collection.

Histoire

The Musée Picasso is located in the Hôtel Salé on rue de Thorigny, in the Marais district of Paris. The mansion which houses the collection was built between 1656 and 1659 for Pierre Aubert, Lord of Fontenay, who became rich collecting the Salt Tax (the name of the building means "salted"). The architect was Jean Boullier, also known as Jean de Bourges, and is considered to be one of the finest historic houses in the Marais.
The mansion has changed hands several times through both sales and inheritances. The occupants have included: the Embassay of the Republic of Venice (1671); the Marechal de Villeroi; it was expropriated by the State during the Revolution; in 1815 it became a school in which Balzac studied; it also housed the municipal Ecole des Metiers d'Art. It was acquired by the City of Paris in 1964, and was granted historical monument status in 1968. The mansion was restored by Bernard Vitry and Bernard Fonquernie of the Monuments Historiques between 1974-1980.
In 1968, France created a law that allowed permitting heirs to pay inheritance taxes with works of art instead of money, as long as the art is considered an important contribution to the French cultural heritage. This is known as a dation, and it is allowable only in exceptional circumstances. Dominique Bozo, a curator of national museums, selected those works that were to become the dation. This selection was reviewed by Jean Leymarie and ratified in 1979. It contained work of all techniques and from all periods, and is especially rare in terms of its excellent collection of sculptures. Upon Jacqueline Picasso's death in 1986, her daughter offered a new dation. The collection has also acquired a number of works through purchases and gifts.
Picasso once said "I am the greatest collector of Picassos in the world." He had amassed an enormous collection of his own work by the time of his death in 1973, ranging from sketchbooks to finished masterpieces. Today, the Musée Picasso contains 203 paintings, 191 sculptures, 85 ceramics, and over 3000 drawings, engravings, and manuscripts in the museum. This is complemented by Picasso's own personal art collection including works by Cézanne, Degas, Rousseau, Seurat, de Chirico and Matisse. It also contains some Iberian bronzes and a good collection of primitive art. One of the most impressive aspects of the museum is that it contains a large number of works which Picasso painted after his seventieth birthday.
The museum has also made a real effort to present accompanying information. For example, the work of cartoonists of the time who mocked or caricatured his work is displayed with Picasso's work from the 1950’s. There are a few rooms with thematic presentations, but the museum largely follows a chronological sequence, displaying painting, drawings, sculptures and prints. The chronological visit begins with the Self Portrait of 1901 and ends with the Old Man Seated of 1971. During this trip we witness the birth of Cubism and of the Demoiselles d'Avignon through studies and sketches for theatre sets and costumes by the father of modern painting. Other items on display include photographs, manuscripts, newspaper clippings to provide additional contextual information.
The second floor has a special area set aside for temporary exhibitions and prints. The third floor contains the library, the documentation and archives department.
LINK : Picasso Museum Paris
Picasso Museum Barcelona