Dare to be Different

If you consider yourself an art connoisseur or just get extremely claustrophobic, skip the Louvre or Musée d'Orsay the next time you go to Paris. Visit one of these 5 lesser-known museums instead.

It’s no secret that Paris is one of my favorite cities in the world. Although this feels very cliché, I won’t deny that I would rather go to Paris than just about anywhere in the world. There’s something magical about walking down the Boulevard Saint-Germain surrounded by the extraordinary Haussmann architecture and habitually chic French people. I could talk incessantly about all of the things that make Paris extraordinary, but one of its best attributes is its art. I would argue with anyone who questions Paris’s position as the top art city in the world. Some of the best, most famous paintings are in either the Louvre or the Musée d’Orsay, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. On the one hand, where else can you see The Coronation of Josephine and the Liberty Leading the People in the same building besides the Louvre, but on the other hand it can be almost impossible to really see these paintings when you’re surrounded by hordes of tourists all speaking different languages. Don’t get me wrong, I think everyone who goes to Paris needs to visit both of these museums even if they have to fight a mob of people to see the Mona Lisa. However, there are so many other (less-touristy) museums in Paris that deserve recognition. If you want to do something different or need a break from the vast, crowded halls of the Louvre, visit one of my favorite less-known Paris museums.

Musée de l’Orangerie

I will admit I am an art history nerd, so I tend to get very emotional when I see a piece that I love in person for the first time. But I have never cried over a painting so much as I have when I saw Les Nymphéas (Water Lillies) by Monet. The Orangerie isn’t the only museum that contains some of Monet’s famous water lily paintings, but the curatorial staff at this museum clearly knows what they’re doing because the way that these paintings are displays is magnificent. The room is completely white and the massive paintings are placed horizontally all around the circular room. The minimalist curatorial decision of the two Monet rooms has such a powerful impact, that I sometimes forget that the museum has other amazing paintings by Cézanne, Matisse, Modigliani, and Picasso. It’s also at the front of the Jardin des Tuileries (which borders the Louvre) so you can easily visit both museums in one day.

Musée Rodin

If you are at all interested in sculpture, beautiful architecture, or exquisite gardens you have to go to the Rodin Musuem. The Hôtel Biron and its surrounding grounds are dedicated to the works and life of Rodin, so they not only house some of his most famous statues, but they also contain his significant art collection (including van Gogh and Renoir paintings). The well-preserved drawings and photographs give you an in-depth look into Rodin’s influences and life. I would highly recommend going to the Rodin Museum when the weather is nice because sitting in the outdoor café in the drinking a café crème is one of the most pleasant experiences I have had in Paris.

Musée Jacquesmart-André

Although I claim that this list is made of “lesser-known” museums, I had heard a lot about most of these before I ever went to Paris. But the Jacquesmart-André is an exception. I didn’t know anything about this private museum in the 8th arrondissement until my 5th trip to Paris. The Jacquesmart-Andre was created from the private home of the wealthy banker Édouard André and his society painter wife, Nélie Jacquemart. They used their fortune to travel to Italy to collect a vast collection of Italian art. The combination of the art, architecture, and interior décor in this stately home is to die for. I don’t know how I hadn’t heard of this museum before my mom found it on a Paris guidebook because it has pieces by some of my favorite artists, like Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun, Canaletto, Fragonard, and Gainsborough. You absolutely cannot go to the Jacquesmart-André without eating lunch at its café. My mom and I cannot think about that trip to Paris without thinking about their amazing Foie Gras salad. Unlike with some of the other museums, people who visit this museum are art lovers who have done their research, so it makes for a quiet, peaceful museum experience.

Maison de Victor Hugo

I have already admitted to being an art nerd, but I’m also a literary nerd. One of my favorite hobbies is reading, so I couldn’t go to Paris without visiting the apartment of the man who wrote Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. This is a smaller museum, so it’s a very manageable museum to visit if you’re short on time. It can also be a good break if you’re tired of staring at paintings because it’s focused on Hugo, so it features the apartment’s original interior décor and memorabilia from his life. The museum is in the Place des Vosges, a beautiful planned square in the middle of the Marais (my favorite neighborhood in Paris), so it’s convenient if you’re already in the area and want your cultural fix.

Musée des Arts Décoratifs

This is sort of cheating because the Arts Décoratifs is located in the west wing of the Louvre Palace, but it’s not technically part of the Louvre museum. As it’s name suggests, it’s focused on decorative arts and design, so it’s also a good option if you want to look at something besides solely paintings, drawings, and sculptures. I confess that I’ve been to the Arts Décoratifs three times, but I never go for the permanent collection. I only go for their temporary fashion exhibits because they are amazing. Their exhibitions feature historical collections from famous fashion houses, like Dries Van Noten and Dior. This means that if you appreciate fashion or jewelry, Arts Décoratifs is complete eye candy.

Thinking about all of these gems makes me want to book a flight to Paris ASAP, but unfortunately real life awaits. I’ll just have to settle for daydreaming about Impressionist art and Pouilly-Fumé. Xx