One of the best museums in Paris is the Musee Picasso, a multi-level showcase housed in a 17th century Haussmann building that was established after the famed artist passed away.
The problem was, if you tried to visit between 2009 and 2014 (an agonizingly long five years), you were out of luck: The museum closed for what was intended to be a two-year renovation project that dragged on for more than half a decade.
After many delays and a cost overrun of more than 22 million Euros (nearly $30 million), Paris’s Musee Picasso FINALLY reopened in October 2014. Whew!
The museum, established when Picasso’s family members “donated” hundreds of pieces of art to the French government in lieu of estate taxes when the artist passed away, shut in August 2009 for a planned two-year, $40 million renovation. Numerous times since, the museum’s administration announced additional delays and more expenditures.
Many of the extensions/overruns were due to decisions to expand the scope of the renovations to effectively double the size of the gallery space in the 17th-century Hotel de Sale mansion in which the museum was established. Before the renovations, the museum could only display a small fraction of the more than 5,000 pieces in its collection. The renovated galleries now have 40,000 square feet of exhibition space. The larger galleries also permit more visitors to the museum. Previously, the museum staff had to carefully control access to the museum to no more than 380 visitors at one time due to fire codes and other safety considerations. Now, up to 650 simultaneous patrons are allowed inside.
I’ve only been to the museum once, mostly because of the ongoing renovations that stifled my plans to visit during my last four trips to Paris. And while it is true that the pieces donated to the museum by Picasso’s family are not considered to be the finest works by the artist, the collection is still impressive due to its size (the largest display of Picassos in the world) and its scope.
And if you’re a fan of the artist, the Musee Picasso is a must-see destination while in the City of Light!
Musee Picasso
5 Rue de Thorigny
Metro: St-Paul
Daily, 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. (Closed Tuesdays)
Admission: 11 Euros