Arles - Musée Réattu

The Musée Réattu in Arles, housed in a 15th/16th C. building on rue G. Monge which was once the Grand Priory of the Knights of Malta, stemmed from the collection of the painter Réattu (1760-1833) and exhibits drawings and paintings by Provençal artists of the 18th and 19th C., as well as a collection of contemporary art, largely owing to the generosity of Pablo Picasso. In addition to the gallery of photographs by Lucien Clergue and others, the drawings by Picasso himself make this friendly little museum particularly interesting; in the main they are portraits with the faces wreathed in loving or amused smiles, evidence of the humanity and sense of humor of the artist.