At that time the museum was located in the wedding room of the Le Cateau City Hall.

[1] In 1956, after the death of Matisse, the collection of the museum was enlarged by the gift of 65 paintings by Auguste Herbin.

With seventeen exhibition rooms, and over a surface of about 4,600 square metres (50,000 sq ft), the Museum displays more than 170 Matisse works, as well as 65 paintings by Auguste Herbin, given by the artist, paintings by Geneviève Claisse, relative and student of Herbin, elements of the Tériade collection of artists' books and 30 photographs from the Henri Cartier-Bresson collection.

It was rebuilt during the 18th century by Théodore Brongniart who also created a monumental porch of neoclassic style.

Pilto was previously a project assistant curator at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art from 2007 until 2011, where she worked on "The Steins Collect," a travelling exhibition of the collection of Gertrude, Leo and Michael Stein.