The museum houses the second-largest collection of Eugène Boudin's works in the world.
The building was constructed on the site of a former transatlantic quay, chosen specifically to interact with the port's light.
The museum's collection was significantly expanded through a major donation from Olivier Senn, a local merchant and art collector.
The MuMa was the first major museum built in France after the Second World War.
Many Impressionist landscapes displayed in the museum depict the specific cliffs and coastal weather of the Normandy region.
The museum displays work by Raoul Dufy, who was born in Le Havre and captured the city's maritime industrialization.
The Museum of Modern Art André Malraux (MuMa) in Le Havre holds one of the most significant collections of Impressionist paintings in France outside of Paris. Designed by architects Guy Lagneau, Michel Weill, and Jean Dimitrijevic, the glass-and-steel building opened in 1961 as the first post-war museum built in France. The collection features an extensive number of works by Eugène Boudin, a native of the region and a mentor to Claude Monet. The gallery space is specifically engineered to maximize the changing natural light of the English Channel. It houses pieces by major artists including Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, and Dufy. The museum is located in Le Havre, a city designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site for its post-WWII reconstruction architecture by Auguste Perret.
From the exterior terrace looking back at the glass facade with the port horizon in the background.
Check the temporary exhibition schedule online before visiting, as these often occupy the central gallery space.
Visit on a day with variable weather to observe how the museum's glass walls transform the interior lighting.
Take advantage of the museum's terrace for unobstructed views of the ships entering the Le Havre port.
Do not mistake the modern, glass-fronted exterior for a temporary structure; it is a permanent site of historical and artistic significance.
Closed on Tuesdays.
