Pablo Diego Jos? Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno Mar?a de los Remedios Cipriano de la Sant?sima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ru?z y Picasso is the most famous artist in history. Ever. But how do we reconcile the hyperbole? What made Pablo Picasso so influential and successful as an artist? Iconoclast, pioneer, brilliant visionary and prolific craftsman, the co-father of the Cubist movement from Malaga, Spain left a phenomenal body of work behind upon his death in France in 1973.

Many of his works were subsequently sold off to square his elaborate estate tax and can now be found in a variety of museums. More than any other artist, Picasso draws crowds. When a Pablo Picasso exhibit comes to your town, you go, even if you need directions to the museum. Not even Dal?, Mir? or Van Gogh come close. Warhol and Pollock? Monet and Manet? No competition.

There are many fine museums all over the world with Picassos on display. Here however, are the best Picasso museums.

Graphikmuseum Pablo Picasso, M?nster, Germany

With less than 300,000 people, M?nster is a rather beautiful small city in Westphalia, Germany. The diminutive host of the excellent Graphikmuseum Pablo Picasso has many fine historic attractions, from 13th century Saint Paul’s Cathedral to the 14th century Gothic town hall. It all makes for a quaint backdrop for the only museum in the world whose permanent collection is entirely made up of graphic works by the master. The late 18th century architecture of the Graphikmuseum, within M?nster’s great Old Town and on trendy K?nigsstrasse, was once the home of a wealthy aristocrat. The photo below was taken very close to the museum, in a scenic part of M?nster.

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Mus?e Picasso, Paris, France

When you stroll through the Mus?e Picasso in Paris, you almost feel like the nosy guest of a fabulously rich art collector. The H?tel Sal?, built in the late 17th century for a tax farmer with a massive fortune, was once a controversial location for the museum. Today however, the historic mansion in the Marais feels quite right and in terms of layout, quite unorthodox. The atmosphere of the Mus?e Picasso is intimate and personal and although the estate is opulent and large, you never feel lost amid the thousands of prints, tableaux, ceramics and sculptures.

Museo Picasso, M?laga, Spain

Close distance to the Costa del Sol helps ensure M?laga’s place as a popular destination in the south of Spain. But when you land at Pablo Ruiz Picasso Airport, many with plans to hit the coast and soak up some rays remember that the artist was in fact, born in M?laga. The Museo Picasso is a relative newcomer on the scene, which may surprise some who visit his birthplace, but contains some of his most significant works in the exquisite 16th century Palacio de Buenavista, in the heart of old M?laga.

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Berggruen Museum, Berlin, Germany

When it comes to museums, Berlin takes a backseat to no other city in the world. Heinz Berggruen, the late collector and dealer, was one of the foremost art ambassadors for Berlin. His museum has a fabulous array of more than 100 works by Pablo Picasso, from his student period in 1897 to 1972, the year before his death.

Museu Picasso, Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona’s Barri Gotic is the ideal backdrop for the superb Museu Picasso. With a vast collection mostly donated by Picasso and lifelong friend Jamie Sabart?s, the museum’s location was no accident. Though birth city M?laga was a consideration, Picasso himself felt a strong connection with Barcelona, a city where he came of age as a precocious youth.

Mus?e Picasso, Antibes, France

The location of the Mus?e Picasso in idyllic Antibes is one of the most historic. The very early 17th century Ch?teau Grimaldi is on the foundation of Antipolis, a vital town in ancient Greece. Once the town hall, the palace became a museum in 1925 and became the first Pablo Picasso museum in the world in 1966. A nice feather in the cap of one of the most spectacular resort towns on the C?te d’Azur.

Photo credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7