When people ask me what my favorite museums in Paris are, the Musee des Arts Decoratifs always tops my list. Over the years they have consistently produced the finest and most innovative exhibitions on fashion, interior design and architecture, many of which I have written about.
Along the way to visiting the temporary exhibits I’ve passed the rooms with the permanent collection of furniture and design objects but haven’t seen them in their entirety, so last month I decided to take some time to explore.
The vast collection is sorted by centuries and time periods in design from the third floor to the 9th floor. The third floor displays pieces from The Middle Ages, The Renaissance, 17th and 18th century, and Art Deco, the fourth floor 17th, 18th, 19th century, Art Nouveau and Art Deco. The fifth to the ninth floor displays the 1940s to the present.
The highlight of the museum was the rooms from the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods. The Art Nouveau rooms include furniture produced by the Majorelle studio with designs by Victor Prouvé and in other rooms, pieces by d’Armand Point, d’Edmond Henri Becker, Henri Bellery-Desfontaine and Hector Guimard. Léon Jallot, Eugène Gaillard, Paul Iribe , Paul Follot, Clément Rousseau, Clément Mère, André Mare and Louis Süe are the artists and designers from the Art Deco collection. I was never a huge fan of Art Nouveau until I moved to Paris and discovered the collections in the Musee d’Orsay and the city of Nancy (the birthplace of Art Nouveau) and now I have a profound love of this rich and innovative period of design. The pinnacle of the collection is the beyond fabulous recreation of the bathroom, bedroom and boudoir of the Paris apartment of fashion designer Jeanne Lanvin. Lanvin bought the hotel particulier of the Marquise Arconati-Visconti in 1920 and had Armand-Albert Rateau design the opulent interiors in 1924 and 1925.
I am also a mid-century modern buff and appreciated some of my favorite classic pieces on display by Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand, Pierre Paulin and Jean Royere.
The extra added bonus to my visit the Musee des Arts Decoratifs was the great window shots I showed you a few weeks ago.
What is your favorite period of design?
For more in depth information (in French only) about the permanent collection, click on link below.
http://www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr/francais/musees/musee-des-arts-decoratifs/parcours/
Musee des Arts Decoratifs
107 rue de Rivoli, 75001
Metro: Palais Royal-Musee du Louvre
Open 11AM to 6PM, Tuesday to Saturday
http://www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr/en/
I want to thank everyone for your responses and comments about the 69 Bus Route post on Tuesday, along with the bus route suggestions.
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 January 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.
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