This charming museum with a garden was, in the 19th century, located in the highly sought-after district of "New Athens" (Pigalle today). House but also studio of the Dutch painter Ary Scheffer, this timeless place is to be discovered without further delay.
Inhabited for more than 30 years by Ary Scheffer, an important painter of the Romantic school, the house built in 1830 is a living testimony to the way of life of the time: the portraits, furniture and jewellery are original and pay tribute to George Sand, one of the leading figures of the artistic, political and literary activity of the time who, with the host, regularly rubbed shoulders with Delacroix, Chopin, Liszt and Dickens.
With its style characteristic of the Restoration period, the house was also a showcase for the success of the painter who was also a drawing teacher for the children of the Duke of Orleans and a renowned portrait painter under the July Monarchy. Several of his paintings can be found on the first floor, others being notably visible at the Louvre.
Consisting of two stories of raised dwellings under an Italian-style roof, the house, which is accessed through a paved courtyard, is bordered by a garden and two glass-roofed workshops where temporary exhibitions are now held.
In the past, these workshops helped several destitute painters to finish their paintings in good conditions or, more surprisingly, served as shelters for the collections of King Louis-Philippe (during his exile in 1848) or as an emergency hospital under the Commune (1870-1871).
In 1858, when the artist died, his daughter bought the house and took care to preserve its charm and spirit by inviting renowned artists such as Ivan Tourgueniev or Charles Gounod. The property then returned to Scheffer's great-niece: in the Belle Époque, his salon always welcomed the world of arts and letters, notably with the arrival of Anatole France and Puvis de Chavannes.
Sold to the State for a symbolic sum in 1956, the house became the Museum of Romantic Life in 1987, its name paying tribute to this great artistic and intellectual movement. To immerse yourself in this fertile period, a charming tea room surrounded by greenery awaits you on the spot: you no longer have any excuse not to make a stopover at this beautiful address.
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Valérie from Comme des Français
To remain in the artistic and intellectual effervescence of the 19th century:
Photo credits: © D. Messina - Ville de Paris / © Pierre Antoine
