Museo Soumaya is home to one of the most stunning art collections in Latin America. Pieces by Dali, Picasso, Renoir, van Gogh, Rodin and Monet sit alongside those from the best and most influential Mexican artists – it’s a must see for anyone fond of art in all it forms.
Museo Soumaya is a sight in it’s own right – an architectural icon, the structure stretches six storeys into the Mexican sky in a striking aluminium beacon that infuses character into the streets it towers over. The museum houses the collection of multibillionaire Carlos Slim, who decided that as many Mexicans cannot afford to travel to view European art collections it was important to house a prestigious collection of art in Mexico. He collected pieces spanning from the Old Masters to the Modernists, creating one of the most valuable collections of art in Latin America.
The gallery is home to some 66,000 pieces of art by many of the best-known European artists from the 15th to 20th centuries. Each floor has a different layout of galleries decorated with paintings, sculptures, religious relics and historical documents. Features include the largest collection of Auguste Rodin sculptures outside of France, the surrealist works of Salvador Dalí, stunning impressions by Claude Monet and cubist masterpieces of Picasso, as well as pieces by da Vinci, Renoir, Miró, van Gogh and Matisse. Da Vinci’s Madonna dei Fusi holds claim to the most expensive – and revered – item in the collection. The works of many Mexican artists are also featured, notably those by Diego Riviera, and the gallery is home to the largest collection of pre-Hispanic and colonial era coins in Latin America. Museo Soumaya also hosts major temporary exhibitions throughout the year.
The gallery is located in the northern parts of Mexico City, easily accessible by metro Lines 2 and 7 as well as numerous buses. It’s worth spending a few hours at Museo Soumaya to explore the works and examine the story they tell of the importance of art and culture in human life.
