The recently renovated Petit Palais, located near the prestigious Avenue des Champs-Elysées, houses some 1,300 works of art from antiquity to the early 20th century. This under-appreciated collection, often overlooked by tourists simply because they have never heard of it, features masterpieces by artists such as Gustave Courbet, Paul Cézanne, Claude Monet and Eugene Delacroix.
Inaugurated in 1900 for the World Exhibition of the same year and presented in conjunction with neighboring Grand Palais, the ‘petit’ counterpart is a striking example of art nouveau architecture and one of the city’s crown jewels from the early 1900s era. century. known as the «Belle Epoque». Wrought iron entrance doors and decorative ceiling elements, elaborate domes and colorful murals give the space the grandeur of a true palace. The fine arts museum only moved into the building in 1902.
The best part? It’s completely free
As part of a large network of municipal museums, all visitors can access the permanent collection at the Petit Palais free of charge. Meanwhile, temporary exhibitions held here explore trends in modern art, photography, and other media. If you’re having a hard time deciding whether to focus your time on classical or modern art and once you’ve seen most of the top 10 museums in Paris, this humble collectible gem should definitely be on your radar.
Location and contact information:
Address: Avenue Winston Churchill, District 8
Metro: Champs-Elysees Clemenceau
Tel: + 33 (0) 1 53 43 40 00
Information on the web: Visit the official website (in English)
Places of interest and attractions to see nearby:
- Grand Palais
- Champs Elysees district
- Avenue Montaigne, one of the most exclusive shopping districts in Paris.
- Arch of Triumph
- Jacquemart-Andre Museum
Opening hours:
The museum (permanent and temporary exhibits included) is open to visitors every day, except Mondays and holidays, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm The ticket office closes at 5:00 pm, so be sure to arrive at least a few minutes before to make sure you enter and avoid disappointment.
Closing days and times: the museum is closed on Mondays and January 1, May 1 and December 25.
Tickets and Admission:
Entry to the permanent collection at the Petit Palais is free for everyone. For information on current admission prices and discounts for temporary exhibitions, see this page on the official website.
Read related: Free museums in Paris
Temporary exhibitions:
The Petit Palais regularly hosts temporary exhibitions that explore modern art, photography, and even fashion. In recent years, the museum has featured exhibits as a much-admired tribute to the fashion of French designer Yves Saint Laurent. Visit this page for a list of current temporary exhibitions at the museum.
Highlights of the Permanent Collection:
The permanent collection at the Petit Palais has accumulated throughout the museum’s long history, with works donated from private and state collections. Paintings, sculptures and other media from ancient Greece to the early 20th century make up the more than 1,300 works in the collection.
The main wings of the permanent collection include The Classical World, which features important Roman works of art from the 4th to 1st centuries BC. C., as well as precious artifacts from ancient Greece and the Etruscan empire; the Renaissance , with objects of art, paintings, furniture and books dating from the 15th to 17th centuries and from France, northern Europe, Italy, and the Islamic world; Sections concentrating on Western and European art from the 17th to 19th centuries and Paris 1900 , focusing on the lavish art nouveau movement and featuring impressive paintings, glasswork, sculpture, jewelry, and other media.
Featured artists in this last section include artists such as Gustave Doré, Eugene Delacroix, Pierre Bonnard, Cézanne, Maillol, Rodin, Renoir, the crystal makers Baccarat and Lalique, and many more.
For full details on the works in the permanent collection, visit this page.
