The director of the Pompidou-Metz Laurent Le Bon has been appointed president of the Musée Picasso in Paris, which is due to reopen at the end of September after a five-year refurbishment. Le Bon succeeds to Anne Baldassari, who was dismissed last month due to her much-criticized management style.

Le Bon was selected by the French president François Hollande, on a suggestion of the minister of culture Aurélie Filippetti. She said in a statement released by AFP that the new Musée Picasso president had “all the qualities needed to make of the opening of the Musée Picasso the celebration expected by all French people, and beyond, by all the lovers of this genius artist.”