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Key figures

Origin and history

The Bourdelle Museum is a tribute to the work of sculptor Antoine Bourdelle (1861-1929), installed in his workshops and gardens in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, where he lived and worked from 1885 until his death. This place, originally located at No. 16 of the Maine impasse (now no. 18, rue Antoine-Bourdelle), was preserved thanks to the intervention of Gabriel Cognacq, patron, and the determination of Cleopatra Bourdelle-Sevastos (second wife of the sculptor) and their daughter Rhodia Dufet-Bourdelle. The latter bought the land in 1930 to avoid dispersal of the works, and then gave it to the City of Paris after years of negotiations.

The official opening of the museum took place on 4 July 1949, twenty years after the death of Bourdelle, under the direction of architect Henri Gautruche. The original project provided for the route of the street of Saxony on the site, but it was diverted to preserve the integrity of the site. The workshops, Bourdelle's personal apartment (conserved in the state with its furniture and a cast of the David of Reims), and the gardens were designed to house the collections: more than five hundred plasters, marbles and bronzes, as well as paintings from his personal collection, including works by Botticelli.

Two major extensions marked the history of the museum. In 1961, on the occasion of the centenary of Bourdelle's birth, Henri Gautruche designed the large hall (or plaster hall), built on the site of the workshop of sculptor Jules Dalou, neighbour of Bourdelle. This hall exhibits monumental works such as Heraklès archer or La France. In 1992, the architect Christian de Portzamparc realized a modern wing of 1,655 m2, financed in part by the sale of a Herakles archer in bronze in Japan. This extension housed rooms dedicated to temporary exhibitions, a graphic arts firm, and educational spaces.

The museum was completely renovated in the early 2020s and reopened in March 2023. Today it offers a course combining historical workshops, the garden with its bronzes (such as Penelope or Adam), and contemporary exhibitions. Among the notable events, Sarkis' Inclination installation in 2007, where an orange velum partially covered the sculptures, or the exhibition Madame Grès, sewing at work in 2011, which attracted a record audience. The museum, free of charge for its permanent collections, welcomes approximately 40,000 visitors per year.

The Bourdelle Museum is labeled Musée de France and depends on the City of Paris. His current address, 18 rue Antoine-Bourdelle, perpetuates the sculptor's memory, whose name was given to the path in tribute. A second venue, the Bourdelle Garden Museum in Égreville (Seine-et-Marne), features 57 outdoor bronzes, completing the artist's legacy.

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