Musée Picasso Paris, Metamorphosis

After 3 years of refurbishment, the “Musée Picasso Paris” unveils its new look. A spect­acular facelift accomplished by the architectural firm, Bodin & Associés, in partnership with Stéphane Thouin, head architect for France’s Historic Monuments.

Since October 25th - the artist’s birthday -, visitors from all over the world have been able to discover the new Picasso Museum in the sublime Hôtel Salé, one of the finest baroque mansions built in the 17th century in the Marais neighbourhood, and listed as an Historic Monument. Renovated throughout and restored to the public, this museum created in 1985 boasts 3,800 m2 of exhibition space split into 34 rooms, inviting visitors to discover or rediscover an amazing permanent collection dedicated to the master of Cubism. In all, 5,000 works comprised of donations from his heirs (including 300 paintings and 300 sculptures) covering all periods and techniques, and 200,000 items of personal ar­chives are on display on an original tour organized by theme, joined by the artist’s own collection comprised of almost 150 works by artists he knew well (Matisse, Braque, Renoir, Cézanne, Le Douanier Rousseau...). The first exhibit, entitled “Etats des Lieux. L’Hôtel Salé d’Aubert de Gontenay à Pablo Picasso, 1656-2014”, pays tribute to this majestic showcase. It is a well-documented presentation of the mansion’s history and its surpris­ing architecture. Under high security, the museum now houses the world’s richest collection of works by Pablo Picasso.