The Best Art Museums in France

Since France is home to numerous art museums, it may be difficult to collate all of the best museums. Listed below are some of the famous & best art museums in France.

Musée Eugène Boudin - Honfleur, France

This art museum was established by Eugéne Boudin and Louis-Alexandre Dubourg in 1868.

These two french painters paid homage to pre-Impressionist artworks and Normandy culture donned by Monet, Friesz, and even Boudin himself.

More than a thousand pieces of Normandy headdresses and furniture are also displayed in this small museum.

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Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin - Paris, France

 

Founded by Emmanuel Perrotin, this art gallery exhibits a contemporary design that has evolved in the past few years.

The Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin also houses a variety of works done by 56 artists and musicians alike.

Cézanne’s studio - Aix-en-Provence, France

Cézanne was known to be a controversial artist throughout his career. However, he was also coined as the “Father of Modern Art”.

Due to his own style that earned him wider recognition during the latter years of his life, which were also displayed in the Salon des Indépendants Paris art exhibition in 1904, 2 years before his death.

Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen - Rouen, France

Another art museum outside of Paris, the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen exhibits thousands of Impressionist artworks.

Such as, Monet’s Rouen Cathedral paintings, Caravaggio’s rare works, and other pieces done by Rubens, Fragonard, Vélazquez, Duchamp, Delacroix, and Modigliani.

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Musée Marmottan Monet - Paris, France

 

This museum houses more than three hundred of Claude Monet’s Impressionist and Post-impressionist artworks, one of which is his famous 1872 Impressionist painting called Sunrise.

The donation done by Michel Monet, who is Monet’s only heir, also contributed to the success of the art museum.

Musée Renoir - Cagnes-sur-Mer, France

This art museum houses Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s original paintings, which exhibit a variety of mythological sceneries, still lifes, portraits, and nudes.

He was also known to be a friend of Frédéric Bazille and Claude Monet and Frédéric, both of which greatly influenced his Impressionistic art style.

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Centre Pompidou - Paris, France

Also known as the national museum of France for modern art, the Centre Pompidou is currently the second largest museum for modern art in the whole world.

This complex building also houses Picasso’s famous painting the Parade, as well as the Young Girl in Green by Tamara de Lempicka.

The Eiffel Tower can also be seen from the terrace of this art museum.

Musée de l’Orangerie - Paris, France

This art museum in Paris also houses numerous impressionist and post-impressionist paintings.

As such, the Musee de l’Orangerie can be found on an orangery near the Seine River.

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Musée Fabre - Montpellier, France

Located in the southern part of France, in the city of Montpellier, the Musée Fabre was named after its founder François-Xavier Fabre in 1825.

As a Montpellier painter himself, Fabre also founded the Montpellier Society of Fine Arts, which is also one of the reasons why numerous wealthy art collectors have donated to the success of this museum.

Louis Vuitton Foundation - Paris, France

This art museum was founded in the fall of 2014 and houses Frank Gehry’s artworks and designs done for the Louis Vuitton art collection.

Its stunning terraces overlook the Eiffel Tower and also display contemporary and modern art exhibitions that change twice a year.

Musée National Picasso - Paris, France

This art gallery is dedicated to exhibiting Picasso’s artworks and thousands of other pieces of modern art.

At the start, the gallery only consisted of 50 artworks, not until the family and friends of Picasso himself donated his works, owned or inherited, to be displayed in the museum.

Frank Gehry’s Luma Arles tower - Arles, South France

Exhibiting a stainless steel design, this 56-meter-high contemporary building houses numerous art galleries, a library, research facilities, seminar rooms, offices, and even a cafe.

The Luma Arles was designed to be a local landmark while also functioning as a place where artists and researchers can collaborate on a variety of artworks and projects.

Louvre Museum - Paris, France

Known as the most-visited museum in the world, the Louvre houses over 400,000 pieces of artworks, some of which have never been taken down from its walls.

Among the most famous paintings in this famous museum are the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and the Venus de Milo.

Galerie Daniel Templon - Paris, France

This art gallery was established in 1966 by Daniel Templon and is well-known to exhibit numerous contemporary paintings from artists that have a conceptual and minimalist art style.

L’espace Van Gogh - Arles, France

Numerous art galleries house van Gogh’s paintings. However, one of the most popular sites to visit in France, especially for van Gogh artwork enthusiasts is the L’espace Van Gogh, which is where he spent his time after cutting off his ear.

Although not necessarily an art museum, this old hospital was transformed to be a community center and renovated to look like the hospital van Gogh has painted.

Bourdelle Museum - Paris, France

This small art museum also became the home of Antoine Bourdelle, a sculptor whose most famous art deco pieces are found at the Champs-Élysées Theater.

The Bourdelle Museum exhibits an open-air structure, an area for workshops, and a rose garden wherein tourists are welcomed warmly.

Grand Palais - Paris, France

Also known as the Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées, the Grand Palais is known to be a historical landmark and a museum complex that holds numerous art exhibits and other events related to culture six days a week.

Musée d’Orsay - Paris, France

This art museum houses French impressionist, post-impressionist, and nouveau artworks created from the years 1848 to 1914.

Located on the left bank of the River Seine, the Musée d’Orsay is perfect for beginner museum enthusiasts since it is only a small exhibition located on the Beaux-Arts railway station.

Centre Pompidou-Metz - Metz, France

This popular museum is also the sister museum of the Paris’ Centre Pompidou. Ever since it opened in 2010, the Centre Pompidou-Metz became one of the most visited museums in France.

This art museum houses modern, contemporary artworks, and displays art exhibits from France’s Musée National d’Art Moderne.

Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours - Tours, France

Donning a variation of rich artworks by Rubens, Rodin, Rembrandt, Degas, and Monet, the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours is located in the palace of France’s former bishop, near the St. Gatien cathedral.

This art museum also displays paintings from Italian, French, and German artists.

Musée Matisse - Nice, France

 

This art gallery is also a municipal museum dedicated to the works of Henri Matisse, a French artist known for his artworks made from cutting paper. After visiting this museum, it is recommended to visit the Rosary Chapel, also designed by Matisse, which features stained-glass windows, and its distinctive roof.