It’s less well known than its cousin the Centre Pompidou, but the museum contains a number of artistic treasures that are definitely worth checking out. The more than 500 works in the permanent collection range from canvasses by little known artists that are wonderfully illustrative of their eras, to creations by some of the biggest names in the art world. It’s here that one finds a number of works by Picasso, including The Burial of Casamagas, as well as several of his always fascinating, and often whimsical, sculptures. But that’s just the beginning. Besides works by fellow Cubism founder Georges Braque, the museum boasts canvasses by the likes of Modigliani, Foujita (The Lion Tamer is an especially intriguing canvass), Chaim Soutine, the Delaunay’s, and Van Dongen. Matisse makes quite an entrance with his three versions of The Dance, one of which was executed on-site! The single most famous work in the museum is probably Raoul Dufy’s La Fée éléctricité, an enormous canvass painted for the Pavilion of Light at the aforementioned Exposition of 1937. The canvass, done in Dufy’s signature rhythmic style, is staggering in size, and a celebration of the invention and innovations of electricity.

And the museum’s collections don’t stop here. It not only has works by mid- to late -20th century creators like Villegle, Arman, Gilbert & George, and the notorious César, but also contemporary photographs and multimedia projections. In addition, the museum often features excellent temporary exhibitions on a wide variety of modern and contemporary artists. With all this to offer, the museum is a must for art buffs, as well as anyone out for a mind-expanding visual adventure.

Good news: The Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris reopens its doors last February 2nd, 2006, after a two-year long closing for renovation and security reasons. Its current exhibitions honour Pierre Bonnard and Pierre Huygue.