In Ceret:  Modern art and contemporary art are omnipresent.
 

This museum was created in 1950.  It is the fruit of the passage and stop-overs of some of the greatest artists of the 20th century in the town and the surrounding area:  Picasso, Braque, Gris, Soutine, Chagall, Matisse, Miro, Tapies …  The temporary exhibitions alternate modern art and contemporary art.  The museum has taken on an international dimension over the last 20 years.

In the 1950s, the modern art collection was principally comprised of donations given to Pierre Brune and Frank Burty Haviland, from artists having stayed in Ceret. 
Added to this collection was the legacy left by Madame Aribaud's husband.  Archivist in the town, Michel Aribaud frequented the artists during their stays in Ceret and built up a personal collection of works of art by Juan Gris, Auguste Herbin, Kisling, André Masson, Manolo Hugué …

Donations from Picasso and from Matisse.

Between 1950 and 1957, Picasso and Matisse donated exceptional works such as a unique series of 28 ceramic bowls on the theme of bull-fighting by Picasso and 14 drawings made during his stay in the port of Collioure in 1905 by Matisse.

Through time, the historical collection tells the tale of the passage of the greatest artists of the 20th century through Ceret with artwork by Picasso, Matisse, Auguste Herbin, Chaïm Soutine, Pierre Brune, Masson, Manolo, Pinkus, Krémègne, Juan, Gris, Marc Chagall, Raoul Dufy, Edouard Pignon, Léopold Survage …

It also illustrates the dialogue between artists in the region such as Aristide Maillol, Etienne Terrus, Louis Bausil, Camille Descossy …

From its modern period to its contemporary period, the funds of the Museum of Ceret was deeply affected by the sentimental link that the artists and the donators (who were often the same person) had with the town and the surrounding landscapes.