Musée Zadkine

The Musée Zadkine is a museum in Paris dedicated to the work of Russian-born sculptor Ossip Zadkine, who settled in Paris around 1910 and lived and worked in the city until his death in 1967. Located at 100 bis, rue d'Assas in the 6th arrondissement near the Jardin du Luxembourg, the institution occupies the artist's former home and studio. It holds a significant place among Parisian cultural institutions as one of the few preserved sculptor studios in the city, offering a comprehensive view of Zadkine's artistic development from his early cubist-inspired works onward. The museum is open daily except Monday, charging an admission fee only during temporary exhibitions, while entry to its sculpture garden remains free.

The museum's creation stems from the wishes of Ossip Zadkine and his wife, the artist Valentine Prax. In his will dated May 20, 1964, Zadkine bequeathed his collection and assets to Prax. Following his death in 1967, Prax began executing their shared vision for a museum. In 1978, she donated several works and the real estate to the City of Paris to establish the institution. In her subsequent will dated August 18, 1979, she named the City of Paris as her sole heir. After Prax died in 1981, the Musée Zadkine was officially inaugurated on April 19, 1982. The collection has since been augmented through purchases. The museum underwent a one-year renovation to improve accessibility, reopening on October 10, 2012, for its thirtieth anniversary with a new museography designed to closely reflect the spirit of the original workshop. On January 1, 2013, it was incorporated into the public institution Paris Musées, which manages fourteen city museums.

The museum's holdings encompass approximately 300 to 400 sculptures, alongside gouaches, works on paper, photographs, tapestries, and manuscripts. The collection emphasizes Zadkine's early period, particularly his participation in the cubist movement, but provides an overview of his complete artistic evolution. Works by Valentine Prax are also displayed. Since 1995, the museum has expanded its scope by hosting three to four exhibitions of contemporary art annually, alongside diverse cultural events such as artist book signings, performances, lectures, and concerts. A library containing manuscripts, books, and archival material is accessible to researchers by appointment.

The museum displays Zadkine's sculptures and paper works across six rooms inside the small house, tracing his career from his youth through his cubist phase. The garden serves as a dedicated space for sculptures inspired by forests and trees. A distinctive feature of the collection is its tactile accessibility. Fulfilling a wish expressed by Zadkine himself, visually impaired and blind visitors are permitted to touch the sculptures. The works are accompanied by labels in Braille, and tactile guided tours exploring the life and work of the sculptor are organized specifically for visitors with visual impairments.

The museum is situated in Zadkine's former studio and home at 100 bis, rue d'Assas, a property he occupied starting in 1928. It is recognized as one of the rare preserved sculptor studios in Paris, alongside the Antoine Bourdelle museum. The museum includes a garden specifically designed by landscape architect Gilles Clément to showcase Zadkine's tree and forest inspired sculptures. The 2012 renovations carefully restored the space to evoke the atmosphere of a working workshop rather than a traditional gallery, ensuring the intimate character of the artist's living and working environment was preserved while making the site fully accessible to all visitors.

The Musée Zadkine is located at 100 bis, rue d'Assas in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. The nearest public transit stops are the Port-Royal RER station and the Vavin metro station. It operates daily except Monday. Admission to the permanent collection and the garden is free, with fees only applied during temporary exhibitions. The institution is owned by the City of Paris and has been administered by the Paris Musées public administrative entity since January 1, 2013. A separate departmental museum dedicated to Zadkine exists in the village of Les Arques in the Lot department, where the artist spent his summers working after the war.