The Musee des Beaux-Arts resides in Marseilles' Palais Longchamp, an architectural masterpiece in its own right, built to celebrate the city's access to water during the Second Empire. French, Italian and Flemish schools of painting converge over two floors with around 8000 artworks. The collection includes works by Perugino, Rubens, David and Courbet, interspersed with sculptures by Puget and Daumier. Provence also has its place, featuring in displays from the prolific period between the 17th and 19th centuries.
The Galerie du Pharos stands on the old port, just opposite Pagnol's famous ferry-boat stop. With an emphasis on representational art, the oils on canvas and wood depict scenes of daily life in Provence and there is an array of still-life works. At Christmas, local amateur artists exhibit their works alongside the professionals. For details of upcoming exhibitions and events, kindly visit the website.