…I feel strongly that the visual arts are of vast and incalculable importance. Of course I could be prejudiced. I am a visual art.” ~ Kermit the Frog
Kermit is, of course, absolutely right. Art, indeed The Arts, are vital for helping us understand ourselves and our place within society. Perhaps most importantly, however, immersion in art is a joyful, inspirational experience.
In my last two posts, I wrote about our recent trip to Paris and our visit to the Museé Marmottan Monet. This was not our only arty experience, however – oh no! In fact, we found ourselves in a gallery that we had not visited before, and what an unexpected treat it was.
The Museé Jacquemart-Andre began life as the private mansion of Édouard André and his wife Nélie Jacquemart and was used by them to house their considerable collection of treasures collected during extensive travelling, and to entertain the Paris elite. Happily, the museum opened to the public in 1913 and we can all now benefit from experiencing this amazing art space.
The museum’s website includes a large number of photos of the interior, which give an excellence sense of the magnificent décor. In addition, here are a couple of shots which I took:
It was such a treat to find this amazing place tucked behind a row of nondescript doorways along the Boulevard Haussmann – like entering Frances Hodgson Burnett’s Secret Garden. It was even more of a delight when we discovered that they were showing an amazing exhibition of lesser-known works by very famous painters.
Some more Monet (because you can never have too much):
A few works by the sublime painters Alfred Sisley, Camille Pissarro, Paul Cézanne respectively:
With plenty of new-to-me artists. I adore this work by Odilon Redon, with its stunning colours and interesting mix of straight and curved lines:
…and this one by Jules Dupré, which captures perfectly the mood of a restless sea:
How lucky we were to stumble across this gallery by accident, especially while they were showing this marvellous exhibition.
“There’s nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be…”
― John Lennon
LEAPING LIFE 
Reblogged this on penwithlit and commented:
A wonderful gallery with a great restaurant-lovely!
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You are so right on all counts – we did not get to the restaurant on this occasion, which gives us the perfect excuse to return! Thanks very much for the re-blog – much appreciated 🙂
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That architecture is amazing! And the paintings are a sweet bonus!
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I could not agree more! 🙂
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Liz, I adore this post for many reasons, but most especially for the quote from Kermit the Frog! From the mouths of frogs…..
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Indeed! We really should listen to frogs a lot more 🙂
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I never visited this museum the times I was in Paris. I’ll definitely have to do so next time!
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It was our first time after many Paris trips over the years. I highly recommend it for your next visit! 🙂
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I couldn’t imagine living without the visual arts. What a beautiful place. I see they have Gustave Courbet in the exhibition, too. I love his sea paintings.
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It was a lovely place/space. And yes, wonderful to see Courbet’s work.
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It’s neat to be able to see these amazing paintings in a home, as they were enjoyed by the owners. It’s a very different experience from a regular museum!
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Such a great observation, Kerry, thank you! Yes, it really made for a more intimate experience – we were so pleased to have stumbled across it.
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What a marvellous find!!! The photos are spectacular. Thank you.
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Thank you Becky! 🙂
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How lucky you found this wonderful museum and your photos of the interior are lovely! I would expect to see Edwardian ladies and gentlemen walking about if I visited. I love the sea picture by Jules Dupré!
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I love that idea – perhaps next time I visit, I will hire period costume and bring it to life! 🙂
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😀
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What a treat, Liz! I enjoyed this too.
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Thank you Cynthia! Always a pleasure to have you stopping by 🙂
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Oh Wow… what a feast ! First Kermit’s Quote – wonderful,and I thought it was impossible to improve on “Rats!” !!!
Oh what a house. What magnificent architecture… one wonders how many builders could create a house like that nowadays… and I loved the exquisite bedroom and subtle gentle colours of walls and hangings – and how I covet the chandelier…
And then the paintings…I particularly loved the Odilon Redon still life, what glorious colours, and beautiful shapes and geometry…
Great post, Liz, thank you
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It was an amazing place – we felt so lucky to have found it by accident!
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