The Maillol Museum is located on rue de Grenelle in a complex of three buildings dating back to the 18th century. The façade, which is especially remarkable, features a rather monumental sculpture: La Fontaine des Quatre Saisons (The Fountain of the Four Seasons).

La Nuit (The Night) by Aristide Maillol

19th-century poet Alfred de Musset lived at this address for 16 years, and French painter Paul Baudry had his studio here.

The museum displays along 27 cozy salons some of sculptor Aristide Maillol's major works (1861-1944); Dina Vierny's private collection; and several temporary exhibitions of 20th-century renowned artists.

Dina Vierny met Maillol at the age of 15 and was his model for many years. She was the prime source of inspiration for both his paintings and sculptures, and also posed for Matisse, Bonnard and Dufy. The very rich collection she put together throughout her lifetime is organized along several themes: works by Ingres, Degas, Cézanne, Fujita, Picasso in the drawing cabinet; paintings by Maillol's friends, including Gauguin, Bonnard, Odilon Redon and Maurice Denis; a room dedicated to the modern primitives; and paintings by abstract artists, such as Kandinsky. The astonishingly rich and varied collection offers a detailed survey of 20th-century art.

From now until February 14, 2003, eight rooms are dedicated to an exhibition of works by Christian Schad (1894-1982), a painter who belonged to Germany's

Portrait of the Count of St-Genois d'Anneaucourt, 1927 Oil painting on wood, 103 x 80.5 cm Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris Photo: Philippe Migeat

Neue Sachlichkeit movement in the 1920s. After going through a Dadaist period, he took a lively interest in the Italian Renaissance and specialized in portraits. This part of the exhibition is particularly exciting: the portraits' realism vividly reflects a certain Germany in the 1920s. The decadent aristocracy, bourgeoisie and various shady characters rub elbows in the frantic, turbulent atmosphere that characterized the decade following the first world war. Shad accurately depicted women of the world, popular figures and homosexuals, often painting them with Paris rooftops or fashionable Berlin cabarets in the background. But the form's objectivity is not cold, and depicts the personal world of the models and their milieu with humanity. Of special interest is the self-portrait with model and the portrait of Count Saint-Genois d'Anneaucourt.

On the upper floor a series of illustrations depicts various figures drawn from life, captured on the spur of the moment in highly colorful slices of life. Some of the erotic drawings sparked a scandal at the time they were made.

Count on around one and a half hours to see the entire museum and permanent exhibition. A bilingual history of the museum is available at the entrance.

Useful information:
Musée Maillol
59-61, rue de Grenelle
75007 Paris
Phone: 01 42 22 59 58
Fax: 01 42 84 14 44
Open every day from 11:00 a.m.
to 6:00 p.m. except Tuesdays and holidays.
Metro: Rue du Bac
Admission: EUR 7, free for children under 16.
Bookstore/cafeteria
Web site: www.museemaillol.com