Behind the very popular Louvre, Orsay and Centre Pompidou, other museums among the 206 (!) that the capital has are worth a visit. Among them, about 20 are accessible free of charge all year round and offer very pleasant visiting conditions. Often located in majestic monuments, embellished with gardens or tea rooms and all rich in collections worthy of interest, here are some of these addresses not to be missed.
House of Balzac
The former residence of the master of the French novel where he created his great work "La Comédie Humaine", is located in the 16th arrondissement, in the heart of the old village of Passy where Balzac took refuge to escape his creditors.
The only remaining residence of the novelist today, it faithfully recreates the period when the author lived there (from 1840 to 1847) thanks to manuscripts and first editions of his works, but also illustrated books from the 19th century, paintings and sculpted portraits.
Reopened after major renovations, the museum has been equipped in 2021 with a charming café overlooking its garden
House of Victor Hugo
The house of the other great French 19th century writer can also be visited for free. Located on the Place des Vosges, this beautiful bourgeois apartment allows visitors to discover the intimacy of the great man through paintings, drawings, manuscripts, prints, photographs, caricatures, sculptures and period furniture (including the bed in which the leader of the Romantics died on May 22, 1885).
Recently enhanced with a tea room overlooking a pretty inner courtyard, this museum inaugurated for the centenary of Victor Hugo's birth (1902) is an absolute must-see.
A change of artistic discipline and era, towards the artistic Montparnasse of the end of the 19th/beginning of the 20th century, with these former workshops of 2 great sculptors.
Bourdelle Museum
Bequeathed to the City of Paris by Antoine Bourdelle's wife and daughter in order to pay tribute to the man whom Giacometti considered his master, this museum contains more than 2,000 works (paintings, sculptures and drawings) that can be admired in a very charming garden, in his reconstructed studio or his former home. A very refreshing place to which we dedicate this article.
Zadkine Museum
French sculptor of Russian origin, Ossip Zadkine is one of the masters of cubist sculpture. He arrived in Paris in 1909 to study at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and lived and worked in this house and its studios from 1928 to 1967. Inaugurated in 1982, the museum shares several similarities with the Bourdelle museum: it was also created thanks to a bequest from his widow, it faithfully reproduces the artist's working environment and has a beautiful garden that is conducive to inspiration.
Museum of Romantic Life
The charming house of Ary Scheffer gathered, in the 19th century, the friends of the romantic painter: Delacroix, Liszt, Dickens or Chopin and his famous companion George Sand met there to exchange on the artistic, political and literary current events. Built in 1830, the house is typical of the Restoration style and of the neighborhood that was then called "La nouvelle Athènes" (today Pigalle).
The painter who was exhibited at the Louvre also worked in this bucolic setting and the portraits, furniture and jewels that can be seen here are all from the period. With its tearoom and its hidden garden, this former Mecca of the Parisian intellectual scene has a unique charm: a detour is therefore necessary during a next escapade in Montmartre.
In the meantime, check out our dedicated article.
The Petit Palais - Musée des Beaux-Arts de Paris
Created for the 1900 World's Fair (which, along with the Eiffel Tower, makes it one of the few remaining monuments), this architectural gem offers collections ranging from ancient art to 19th century works. Flemish paintings (Rembrandt, Rubens), sculptures and paintings by Cézanne, Courbet, Degas, Monet... can be admired here with, between 2 masterpieces, the possibility to take a break in its soothing interior garden.
Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris
Fauvism, surrealism, cubism, art brut... Nearly 15,000 works invite you to immerse yourself, chronologically, in the art of the 20th century by admiring works of Matisse, Léger or the Delaunay couple. Located in an Art Deco-style building built in 1937, the museum occupies the east wing of the Palais de Tokyo (devoted to contemporary creation) and has a large terrace offering a beautiful view of the Seine.
Cognacq-Jay Museum, the taste of the 18th century
Located in the former mansion of the Cognacq-Jay couple (founders of La Samaritaine), this museum brings together objects and works of art from the Enlightenment. The collection of these 2 great art lovers is notably made up of 1,200 objects of the period and paintings by Fragonard and Watteau. A mini-museum to discover also for the charm of the old Marais hotel (end of 16th century) in which it is housed.
In addition to these establishments dedicated to art, other museums about history or sciences are also accessible for free in Paris. To be discovered soon in another dedicated article.
Valerie from Comme des Français
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