The first museum in Marseille, the Museum of Fine Arts was created in 1802. It houses collections of paintings, drawings and sculptures of inestimable value. Visitors will be able to admire real masterpieces by the greatest painters: Pierre Puget, Jean-François Millet, Félix Ziem, Pierre Paul Rubens, Giovanni Lanfranco, Jan Van Bylert, Gustave Courbet… The Museum of Fine Arts covers four centuries of art history, from the 16th to the 19th century.
Palais Longchamp
Built in 1862, the Palais Longchamp was to celebrate the triumphant arrival of water in Marseille, which had until then been experiencing serious water supply difficulties. It is the main visible monument, along with the Roquefavour aqueduct, of the colossal works that led to the creation of an 85-kilometer canal. The Palais Longchamp is composed of a water tower and two wings that house the two great historical museums of Marseille: the Natural History Museum and the Fine Arts Museum. If you have the time, you can extend your visit by discovering the public garden with its fountains, as well as the vast Longchamp Park at the back of the Palace.
Collections
The Museum of Fine Arts of Marseille is home to a collection of the greatest Italian and French masters who lived in the 16th and 17th centuries. Visitors can admire the works of Perugino, Pannini, Guerchin for Italy, Champaigne, Vouet, Vernet, Greuze, Hubert Robert or David for France. Northern European schools are represented by great names such as Rubens, Snyders or Jordaens.
Art in Provence in the 17th and 18th centuries occupies an important place in the collections. The painters Nicolas Mignard, Jean Daret, Louis Finson and Michel Serre are represented. Pierre Puget, an emblematic figure for Marseille, is present through an exceptional collection of paintings, drawings and sculptures.
The 19th century is represented with the great names of the French School such as Gustave Courbet, Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, Charles-François Daubigny and Jean-François Millet. The School of Marseille is also honored with Émile Loubon, Paul Guigou or Félix Ziem.
Visitors can also admire The Inner Voice, one of Rodin’s masterpieces.
Exhibitions and activities
Temporary exhibitions are regularly organized. Thematic days, conferences and guided tours allow you to discover a period, an artistic movement or an artist.
The museum also offers themed tours for the visually impaired by appointment.
Practical information
Prepare your visit to the Museum of Fine Arts of Marseille:
- Opening days: open from Tuesday to Sunday inclusive (closed on Monday, except Easter and Whit Monday). Closed on January 1, May 1, November 1 and 11, December 25 and 26.
- Schedule: from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Address: Palais Longchamp, 1 boulevard Longchamp, 13004 Marseille
- “Famille Plus” label
- Website: https://www.marseille.fr/culture/le-musee-des-beaux-arts
Selection of museums in Bouches du Rhône
