Musée Maillol Banyuls-sur-Mer

The Musée Maillol de Banyuls-sur-Mer is a private museum dedicated to the sculptor Aristide Maillol, located at La Métairie, the farm where he spent the final years of his life. Situated in the Roume valley, 4 km from the center of Banyuls-sur-Mer in the Pyrénées-Orientales region of southern France, the museum opened to the public in 1994. It is operated by the Fondation Dina Vierny, the same foundation that runs the Musée Maillol in Paris, and serves as a significant site for understanding Maillol's late career and personal life.

After Aristide Maillol's death in 1944, La Métairie was abandoned and fell into deterioration. Decades later, a rescue effort was initiated through the combined actions of Dina Vierny, Maillol's last model and muse, and the city of Banyuls-sur-Mer. The restoration of the farmhouse was completed, and a small museum opened to the public at the end of 1994. The Fondation Dina Vierny, which had also established the Musée Maillol in Paris, took on the operation of this site, ensuring its preservation and public access.

The museum presents a multifaceted view of Maillol's artistic output alongside artifacts from his daily existence at La Métairie. The collection encompasses sculpture in bronze and terracotta, including female nudes in various formats from statuettes to large-scale works. It also includes works on paper and in other media: lithographs, drawings, paintings, and ceramics. Beyond finished artworks, the museum preserves elements of Maillol's living and working environment, including the dining room from his studio at Marly-le-Roi, his kitchen, and his workshop. The institution additionally functions as a center for temporary exhibitions.

Among the museum's signature elements is the bronze cast of La Méditerranée, one of Maillol's favorite works, which sits atop his tomb in the museum garden. This sculptural monument integrates the artist's burial site with his artistic legacy. The collection of 36 bronze and terracotta sculptures provides substantial representation of Maillol's sculptural practice, while the preserved interiors offer rare insight into his domestic circumstances.

La Métairie is an isolated farmhouse set in the Roume valley, 4 km from the center of Banyuls-sur-Mer in the Pyrénées-Orientales. This secluded rural location was Gus was the setting where Maillol spent his final years, and the remote character of the site reflects the circumstances of his late life. The building's restoration in the early 1990s preserved its character as a working farm while adapting it for museum purposes.

The Musée Maillol de Banyuls-sur-Mer is a private museum managed by the Fondation Dina Vierny, which also operates the Musée Maillol in Paris. Located 4 km from the city center of Banyuls-sur-Mer in the Roume valley, within the Pyrénées-Orientales department, the site is accessible to the public and continues to serve its role as a center for Maillol scholarship and temporary exhibitions.