Founded in 1809, the Museum of Fine Arts of Caen is located in a contemporary building inside the ducal castle of William the Conqueror, in the historic center of the city. It preserves a rich and prestigious collection, in particular of paintings from the fourteenth century to the present day, offering a complete overview of the development of European painting over the centuries. The presence of numerous works by key Renaissance authors make it one of the major Fine Arts museums in France. In fact, there are works such as "The Marriage of the Virgin" and "San Geronimo" by Perugino, "The Temptation of S. Antonio" by Veronese, the Triptych of the Madonna with Child and Saints by Cima da Conegliano, the "Descent from the Cross" by Tintoretto, "Judith and Holofernes" by Veronese, the "Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek" by Rubens.

There are also works by artists of the French school and the avant-garde of the early twentieth century, such as Poussin and Philippe de Champaigne. The nineteenth century is also present, with works by authors such as Courbet, Delacroix, Géricault, Monet, Braque, Dufy, Soulages.

The collection of drawings and prints is among the richest in France. Finally, the sculpture park around the museum contains works by Rodin, Bourdelle, Marta Pan, Huang Yong Ping and Alain Kirili.