Musée Jacquemart-André

When entering the main courtyard, you cannot help but stop short to admire the incredible facade of this mansion, inaugurated the same year as the Palais Garnier. The museum, which is open 365 days a year, tells of two love stories: one between Édouard and Nélie, and the other which the couple maintained with the art world. The couple never had any children, instead their mutual passion for the arts became their legacy. They conceived their sublime Haussmannian residence as a place to exhibit their collection and receive Parisian society, decorated in a theatrical manner with pieces picked up on their many travels.

The Atmosphere of a Private Home

The large reception rooms, designed to host extravagant parties, display the works of Boucher, Chardin, Nattier and Fragonard and testify to the couple’s impeccable taste for French painting and the decorative arts of the 17th century. Before climbing the majestic double spiral staircase adorned with frescoes by Tiepolo, make a stop at the winter garden filled with exotic plants. On the first floor, you will find the “Italian Museum”, which was reserved for close friends only, displaying a splendid collection of works by Botticelli, Perugino, Uccello, Bellini, and Mantegna. Today, in addition to the expansive permanent collection, the museum holds two very popular temporary exhibitions each year. Linger in the couple’s dreamy world for tea or a light meal in their former dining room, now one of the capital’s most beautiful tearooms.

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