Musée Bourdelle

The museum was created to pay tribute to one of the three great sculptors of the early 20th century. After Rodin’s death, Bourdelle and Maillol became the two leading modern sculptors. Bourdelle dominated the field of monumental sculpture and received commissions from the Argentine, Czech and Polish governments. His artistic career reached its peak during the Salon des Tuileries in 1923. One critic wrote: “No one else can reach the peak that he did”. His death in 1929 was reported in the press. Journalists observed that “his sudden death is like the fall of a Titan” and “French sculpture is in mourning”.

The Musée Bourdelle is located in the Montparnasse district of Paris. It comprises former studios dating from the 19th century and modern buildings such as the Hall of Plasters, designed by Henri Gautruche in 1961, and the wing designed by Christian de Portzamparc in 1992. Through the intimacy of the apartment where Bourdelle lived and worked, the majesty of the Hall of Plasters and the bold lines of the modern extension, visitors are invited to discover the life and work of the artist, following the tireless stylistic and expressive explorations of this visionary sculptor at their own pace.