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They devoted much of their money and time into purchasing
numerous works of art and antiques on their travels, especially from Italy, which they
displayed within their exquisite and sumptuous mansion that was completed in 1875 and
where they held many lavish receptions for their friends.
Edouard Andre died before his wife, but Nelie Jacquemart completed the decoration of the
Italian museum and continued investing in paintings plus objects from the Orient and when
she died she left the entire mansion and its contents to the Institut de France, which had
been Andre's wish.
So hence this fabulous museum was born, and situated close to the Champs Elysees in the 8th Arrondissement of Paris, it has attracted numerous visitors since it
first opened its doors to the public back in 1913, and even those that hate the large museums in Paris such as The Louvre, will venture into the Jacquemart-Andre museum.
This French museum offers its visitors a unique
experience of exploring a wealthy private mansion and home with its state rooms, private
apartments, winter garden and much more.
The State Rooms include the picture gallery, the music room that was turned into a
ballroom on concert evenings and the grand salon along with the incredible dining room
with its tapestries and Tiepolo ceiling, which is now the home of the Jacquemart-Andre Café and Tea Room and
these were designed for the magnificent receptions that they held.
However, when it came to business meetings, these were conducted in the smaller and more
informal rooms that were decorated in a refined style, which portrayed their talents as
art collectors and includes the tapestry room, where the name speaks for itself but also
includes furniture from the Louis XIV to Louis XVI era. The library that contains
works by Rembrandt and Van Dyck along with the Masterpieces room with its intimate decor
and objet d'art were also used for this purpose.
There is an incredible staircase that you will not fail to admire and at the foot of this
stunning double staircase, which is decorated with a Tiepolo fresco, you will find the
Winter Garden designed by the architect Henri Parent. It is overflowing with an
abundance of lush, exotic plants and is the area that welcomes guests, just as it did in
the time of Napoleon III.
The Italian Museum
Edouard and Nelie were passionately interested in the Italian Renaissance and travelled to
Italy frequently, and on the first floor of their beautiful home they created a genuine
private museum to house the collection of Italian art, which they only ever showed to
their closest friends.
The Sculpture Gallery houses has one of the finest collections of 15th century and 16th
century Italian sculpture in France, with masterpieces by people such as Donatello,
whereas the Venetian Gallery is dedicated to 15th century Venetian artists such as Bellini
and has a superb coffer ceiling.
The Florentine Gallery is a place of worship and contains numerous works on religious
themes that includes choir stalls, funerary monuments, paintings and works by famous
people such as Botticelli.
The Private Apartments
On the ground floor of the Jacquemart-Andre mansion were the private apartments of Edouard
and Nelie that really do provide the feeling of this museum being a family home and have
been restored to their former glory for all its visitors to enjoy.
Nelie's bedroom is decorated in a typical Louis XV style, whereas in Edouard's antechamber
this houses many family portraits including the one that was produced by his wife before
they were even married and is dedicated to his memory.
Again, steeped in history and memories of this fanatical art collector, his bedroom and
adjacent bathroom have retained their original decoration, but as well as the paintings,
the collection has some outstanding furniture that dates from Louis XV to Louis XVI
periods, with chairs, desk, drawers and numerous other objet d'art that they aquired on
the travels.
Address & Contact Details:
Musée Jacquemart-André
158 Boulevard Haussmann
75008
Paris
France
Telephone: 1 45 62 11 59
Fax: 1 45 62 16 36
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