Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOP SIGHT
MUSÉE JACQUEMART-ANDRÉ
If you belonged to the cream of Parisian society in the late 19th century, chances are
you would have been invited to one of the dazzling soirées held at this mansion. The
home of art collectors Nélie Jacquemart and Édouard André, this opulent residence
was designed in the then-fashionable eclectic style, which combined elements from
different eras - seen here in the presence of Greek and Roman antiquities, Egyptian
artefacts, period furnishings and portraits by Dutch masters.
A wander through the 16 rooms offers an absorbing glimpse of the lifestyle and
tastes of Parisian high society: from the library, hung with canvases by Rembrandt
and Van Dyck, to the marvelous Jardin d'Hiver - a glass-paned garden room backed
by a magnificent double-helix staircase. Upstairs is an impressive collection of Italian
Renaissance works by Botticelli, Donatello and Titian, among others.
The mansion's architect, Henri Parent, was nearly hired to work on the even more
prestigious Paris opera house, the Pala
alais G
is Garniier - he was beat out only by the then-
unknown Charles Garnier.
After the tour, stop in at the salo
n de thé (open 11.45am to 5.30pm), which serves
pastries as extravagant as the decor.
alon de th
