Why Picasso Headed for Paris

When Picasso first visited Paris in 1900, the city was in the thick of the Belle Époque, the "Beautiful Era" that ran from the late 19th to the early 20th century. After the Industrial Revolution, the Eiffel Tower had gone up, a World's Fair was under way, and the metro had just opened. Paris was changing fast, socially, economically and culturally, and artists in that climate grew ever more determined to break free from the art that came before. Montmartre was especially attractive: rents were cheaper than in other districts and taxes were partly waived, which made it an ideal place for artists to gather and swap ideas.

In 1904, Picasso settled in Paris for good. The early years were hard. He spoke little of the language and was unknown. But he gradually won recognition and began to sell his work, and Paris remained the stage of his life all the way to his rise as a master. Traces of him are still scattered across the city: the Bateau-Lavoir, where he rented a room in his struggling days; the cabaret Lapin Agile, where he used to drink; and the Musée Picasso.

The museum occupies a mansion built in the mid-17th century and later renovated for its new life. Picasso's heirs handed works to the French state in lieu of inheritance tax, which allowed the government to acquire a large body of high-quality pieces. The collection now totals around 3,000 works, including paintings, sculptures, reliefs, ceramics, drawings and etchings.