Picasso Museum in Paris closed on Monday for two years, 43 million renovation of one of the most important galleries in the world dedicated to the Spanish-born teacher. Half a million people visit the Picasso Museum in Paris each year.
On the eve of the closure of more than 5,800 people seized a last chance to see the collections in a 17th century mansion in the historic Marais district, which was open for free, a museum spokesman.
Opened in 1985, the National Picasso Museum houses 5,000-strong collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics, photographs and documents, but only a fraction are on display at any time due to space restrictions.
Monitoring of the artist’s prolific career, most exposures are left to the French state after his death in 1973, with others donated by his family, including his late wife Jacqueline.
In the coming weeks, the collection will be packaged and shipped under tight security to government stores for the duration of the works.
Loans of works of art by Picasso also was put on hold, while the museum used the renovation as an opportunity to digitize and restore some of his collection.
Funded in part by changing exhibitions in recent years, the renewal will see the available display space of the museum doubled from about 1,000 square meters (10,750 ft.) over 2000, reopening in February 2012.
It also involves the redevelopment of the exhibition and visitor areas to put a new emphasis on educational content for children and adolescents and make the shows more accessible to people with disabilities.