Musée Picasso

Antibes, France

The Musée Picasso, formerly the Château Grimaldi at Antibes, is built upon the foundations of the ancient Greek town of Antipolis. The castle was a residence of the bishops in the Middle Ages (from 442 to 1385). The castle was moved in 1385 to the Monegasque family. In 1608 it became a stronghold of the Grimaldi family and has borne their name ever since. In 1702 it became the town hall of Antibes.

From 1925 the chateau was known as the Grimaldi Museum. In 1946 it was the home for six months of the artist Pablo Picasso. Today the museum is known as the Picasso Museum, the first museum in the world to be dedicated to the artist.

Picasso himself donated works to the museum, most notably his paintings 'The Goat' and 'La Joie de Vivre'. In 1990 Jacqueline Picasso bequested many works by Picasso to the museum. These included 4 paintings, 10 drawings, 2 ceramics and 6 etchings. These are displayed at the Château in addition to the 3 works on paper, 60 etchings and 6 carpets by Pablo Picasso which the museum collected between 1952 and 2001. Today the collection totals 245 works by Picasso.

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Details

Founded: 11th century / 1966 (museum)
Category: Museums in France
Historical period: Birth of Capetian dynasty (France)

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Inna Grigorieva (2 months ago)
It was interesting museum in the amazing historical building in front of the sea. The work of Picasso was only on the 2nd floor and you could see just the pieces which he made by himself in this building… so here you won’t see him greatest arts. But it was well organised and pleasure to see the beautiful part of this life.
D L Z (3 months ago)
I have been visiting this museum since I was a child, and it's a joy to go back every few years. The castle itself is stunning. There's a terrace with remarquable views & sculptures by Germaine Richier, Arman, Miro, and other artists. I also love the artist "atelier" space with walls covered with Picasso's ceramic plates, sculptures, and a monumental painting. The permanent collection is quite rich, so whether or not you're into "what's on", you should have a great time.
Steven S. (4 months ago)
Nice "museum" housing a number of Picasso paintings, drawings and ceramics from his two month stay in the 1940s. The location of the museum is amazing, right on the water where you have wonderful views of the sea. It's also next to the market area where you can shop for different French delicacies, and about a five minutes walk from the square where you can sip some drinks. If you visit Antibes and a fan of Picasso, it's worth seeing for sure. Posted are the Picasso paintings and short descriptions. One last note, we arrived fairly early (1030 am) and the wait was minimal. But if you arrive later, the wait can grow substantially
Justin Lau (4 months ago)
I’m not sure if you can buy tickets in advance but either do that or arrive early. We waited 45mins in line on a weekday afternoon. The museum is amazing. It’s rare to see a variety of work this great. This museum feels more artist driven giving you insight into Picassos artistic process.
Mangold Stefano (6 months ago)
The museum is also the studio where the master used to work during his time spent in Antibes. On the first floor there is a mix of Picasso’s work plus some other more contemporary art while the second floor is entirely dedicated to the works of the master plus a little history with pictures reporting how he used to work in the tower of this very building. Staff was also nice and. Recommended
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