Kraemer Gallery

Two weeks ago I read an article in the International New York Times about a prestigious family owned antique gallery, which was open to the public for the first time. Totally intrigued, I had to check out.

Kraemer Gallery was established in 1875 by Lucien Kraemer and is still a family owned business, now in its sixth generation. The gallery specializes in furniture and objets from a specific period, 1680 to 1790. The rare museum quality pieces such as Marie Antoinette’s writing table from the Petite Trianon and the chairs of Madame Du Barry are found in prestigious art institutions such as the Louvre and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Generations of customers have included the Rothschilds, Henry Ford Jr, Christian Dior, J. Paul Getty, Jackie Kennedy, and Karl Lagerfeld.

Located right off the Parc Monceau among other stately hotel particuliers, the entrance is so subtle, I walked right by it. A barely noticeable single small marble plaque under a window spells out KRAEMER. I rang the bell and waited a few moments till a guard escorted me into the entrance foyer. The reception room was one of those classic beautiful French rooms painted that special not quite mint green color with white moldings and filled with the most magnificent 17th and 18th century furniture. Luckily I had time to take in and closely look at everything, as it took a few minutes for someone to approach me. An elegant French woman introduced herself as Madame Kraemer and asked to me excuse her for her raspy voice as she was coming down with a cold. She introduced me to her daughter Sandra, also smartly dressed in black. Sandra was in charge of giving me a tour and telling me the story of the gallery. She explained the reason why the gallery was open to the public for the first time was because they wanted to address the needs and tastes of their younger clientele and wanted to mix some contemporary art with the collection of antiques. The gallery has collaborated with former French Culture Minister Jean-Jacques Aillagon who brought in Kamel Mennour Gallery to loan Kraemer Gallery some contemporary pieces. Works by Anish Kapoor, Daniel Buren, Claude Leveque, and Lee Ufan are interspersed through the salons on the main floor.
As much as I appreciated the contemporary works, I was drawn to the antique furniture. It’s so rare that one gets to be in such close proximity and to be able to actually touch and feel such beauty, as furniture of that period is usually behind velvet ropes at museums with stuffy guards yelling at you if you get too close. I questioned Sandra about specific pieces and she told me in depth about the history, the periods they were from, the owners plus she showed me unusual features, sometimes opening a secret or hidden draw or shelf. One unique piece similar to a secretaire had a hidden compartment on the bottom which had a self playing accordion, playing five various tunes and is the only one of its kind in the world.  

Sandra also told me that the five-story mansion is also the family’s home, although she lives separately in an apartment nearby.

Oh, what I would give to see the rest of the house.

Kraemer Gallery has extended the public opening till November 7th, so do whatever you can to take advantage of this rare and wonderful opportunity.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take my own photos, but here are photos provided by the gallery.

Kraemer Gallery
43 rue Monceau, 75008
Metro: Monceau
Open 10:30AM-7PM
www.kraemer.fr

Anish Kapoor

Daniel Buren

 Eye Prefer Paris Postcards

I am thrilled to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards, a 6 or 12-month subscription service where the subscriber receives three physical postcards of my iconic Paris photos every month. Each month will have a specific theme, from architectural street scenes to romantic outdoor cafes to beautiful gardens to unique shots of iconic monuments. Each mailing will include two postcards in color and one in black & white or sepia, beautifully packaged in a special French Blue postcard holder with a custom designed seal.

Each 6” X 4.25” traditional size postcard is printed on thick matte coated card stock, similar to traditional vintage postcard stock that enhances the vibrancy of every image.

Only $60 for a 6 month subscription (plus shipping)or

$110 for a 12-month subscription (plus shipping)

My offer of a 12-month subscription with an extra month free is good until October 31, so remember to order now before the offer ends.

Click here to order a 12-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 6-month subscription from my Etsy store

 

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.

 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com 

  Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 195 euros per person (about $210)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

 

Comments

[Peggy Bilbro]

I got my second set of post cards yesterday!.I particularly love the chimney pots!