Picasso Museum

There are many Picasso museums which house the arts of Picasso and the main one being the Picasso Museum in Paris. Museum that is Musee Picasso in French is located in Hotel Sale which is in the Marais a district in Paris. The Hotel Sale that houses the collection and an art gallery was constructed for Lord of Fontenay, Pierre Aubert in 1656 to 1659. Aubert was a tax collector and had turned rich collecting the Salt tax or gabelle, and also interestingly the meaning of the name of hotel building also means “Salted”.

Hotel Sale was to be selected as Picasso museum for housing his finest arts in the world. It was not an easy decision, it was debated in all levels national and civic which building to be selected for the museum and finally the Mansion was the result. There were many proposals for designing the museum and a competition was to be held for selecting the interior designers for the museum. Finally in 1976 Roland Simounet’s proposal was selected. But the interiors of the mansion had already been altered by the inheritors and it was to be made spacious bringing it to the original form.

French government in 1968 formed a law for the inheritors to pay the taxes in form of great works of arts instead of cash, until the art has remained the important cultural heritage of France. This is called the “Dation” which is permitted only in exceptional situations. Curator Dominique Bozo selected the art works that had to be exhibited and was reviewed by Jean Leymarie and in 1979 they were ratified. Collection included the arts of Picasso of all epochs and all techniques which were very rare collections

After the death of Jacqueline Picasso in 1986, new dations were offered by her daughter. The collection includes many works that were acquired through gifts and purchases for the museum. Pablo Picasso had collected his own works in enormous numbers before his death in 1973 that were ranging from master pieces to just sketches. The Picasso Museum contains the works of Picasso and also the works by Rousseau, Seurat, Cezanne, Matisse, Degas and de Chirico which total to more than 3000. Also we find some bronzes of Iberia and collection of good primitive art.

The architect of this historic monument was Jean Boulier also called as Boullier de Bourges as he was from Bourges. Now it is recognized in Marais as the finest historic house. The mansion has seen many inheritors and also sales from hands to hands through its long history after Pierre Aubert. When glanced back to early years records say in 1671 the Republic of Venice Embassy was also an occupant. Then during the French revolution the state Expropriated and it was a made school in 1815, where the famous Balzac had studied. Finally the Paris city authorities acquired the Mansion in as early as 1964 and was given the status of historical monuments in 1968.After the aquiration mansion had to be restored and renovated and was done by the architects Bernard Fonquernie and Bernard Vitry between 1974 and 1980 with six full years for the completion.