Musée des Années Trente
Espace Paul Landowski
28 Ave André‑Morizet, Boulogne‑Billancourt
Metro Marcel‑Sembat (line 9) or Boulogne‑Jean‑Jaurès (line 10)
This little-known museum in the elegant Parisian suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt houses an impressive collection of 1930s art. But forget about the usual Surrealist works of Picasso, Chagall, Pollock, or Duchamp. This inter-war collection is less avant-garde, less “anti-establishment” than what you might find in the Centre Pompidou. It’s more classical and figurative, yet still reflects the changing times in French society with the beginning of paid holidays for the working class, colonial politics, the economic crisis, and the premonitions of another war.
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Origins of the Museum: Why Boulogne, not Montparnasse?
While many iconic artists of the 1930s lived and worked in Montparnasse, even back then the rents in Paris were sky high (plus ça change…). Many painters, sculptors and architects moved to Boulogne-Billancourt, a fast-growing west suburban town on the Seine where newly-established film studios and the Renault manufacturing plant had already attracted many new residents. Lipchitz, Landowski, Souverbie and other heavyweights of figurative art as well as modern design were among them. The city began buying up their works as early as 1939 with the opening of the Boulogne Municipal Museum on the fourth floor of the town hall. The collection — which grew over the years to around 800 paintings, 1500 sculptures and 20,000 drawings — was moved next door to the contemporary, glass-walled Espace Landowski in 1998.
What to Expect: The Collections
The museum’s collections are laid out thematically across four floors (I recommend taking the elevator to the 4th floor and working your way down).
The top floor focuses on 1930s architecture and Art Deco design, with scale models of modernist homes like Le Corbusier’s Villa Cook and iconic furniture by Robert Mallet‑Stevens, Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann, Charlotte Perriand, and Jean Prouvé.
The third floor features several rooms dedicated to colonial art, with sculptures, drawings and paintings depicting the fascinating people and landscapes of sub-Saharan Africa, the Maghreb (north Africa), and Indochina. The Colonial Exhibition was held in Paris in 1931, and for many French people it was the first time they discovered the inhabitants and lifestyles of the colonial empire (for those interested in a deeper look at France’s complicated colonial past, I recommend visiting the History of Immigration Museum in the Palais de la Porte Dorée in the 12th arrondissement). The third floor also houses the museum’s collection of religious artworks and a skylit “animalier” room with a series of adorable or dramatic animal sculptures (Paul Simon’s L’Orang-Outan is a favorite).
The second floor (where the exhibit “officially” begins) features portraits and sculptures, including those by the “Ecole de Paris” artists of Montparnasse (such as Ossip Zadkine). Artists of the Forces Nouvelles movement depicted tragic scenes in the aftermath of World War I, while other artists depicted figures from high society or the new leisure class (including women in bathing suits at the beach, a shocking scene at the time). You’ll also find 1930s advertising graphics, the usual preponderance of female nudes, and scenes of Parisian nightlife as the Jazz age takes hold.
Back down on the ground floor, the visit ends with monumental sculptures from the World’s Fairs of 1925, 1931, and 1937—oversized, idealized figures that were never just decoration. They were built to impress, persuade, and promote a vision of French power and progress. For example, Trinity, featuring the modern “ideal family” of man, woman, and child, is a 4-meter tall sculpture by the Martel twins, Jan and Joël (who were founders of the Union of Modern Artists). And no, that tall, skinny sculpture isn’t a Giacometti, but rather Robert Couturier’s monument to the French martyr of the Inquisition, humanist Etienne Dolet.
If you’re curious, another museum space in the same building honors the French sculptor (and Boulogne-Billancourt artist) Paul Landowski. You might not recognize his name, but you certainly know his most famous work, Christ the Redeemer—the colossal statue overlooking Rio de Janeiro. He also created the sculpture of the patron saint of Paris, Saint Geneviève, overlooking the Seine from the Pont de la Tournelle.
Why it’s Worth Crossing the Périph’
If you want a break from modernist abstraction and Surrealist shock tactics, the Musée des Années Trente offers a bit more of a mainstream look at the 1930s — more pleasant than provocative — without ignoring the social and political upheavals of the era. It also doesn’t hurt that the crowds are thin (even on a Saturday afternoon), and that it’s only a 5-minute walk from the metro station Marcel-Sembat (line 9). If you’re still not convinced you can part with the modest €7 entrance fee, go on the first Sunday of the month, when it’s free.
The only challenge will be for those who don’t read French, since there are no signs in English. But you can download a translation app that works with your phone’s camera (like Google lens) or borrow one of the free audio guides at the front desk which gives you some of the highlights.
Practical info
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-6pm (last admission 5:30pm). Closed Mondays and holidays.
Tickets: €7 for adults; free for students under 26, and everyone the first Sunday of the month. No need to purchase tickets in advance or reserve, there are never lines here.
Info and Services: The giftshop offers a large small of books and postcards. Free lockers at the entrance.
Some advice: This museum is large, but not overwhelming nor crowded. Allow about an hour to browse all four floors. If you’d like to extend your visit, consider following this self-guided walking tour by Un Jour de Plus à Paris of 1930s architecture in Boulogne-Billancourt, including Le Corbusier’s UNESCO‑listed Molitor apartment block and half a dozen Art‑Deco façades.
Exclusive Bonus Video for Secrets of Paris Community Members
Last weekend, Heather and Fred joined the Secrets of Paris Community members in Boulogne-Billancourt for lunch and a private tour of the Musée des Années Trente led by local tour guide extraordinaire, Jean Manuel Traimond. Enjoy the 5-minute highlights reel!