Art delights of Paris
The art delights of Paris aren’t always only the obvious ones or the big international galleries. If you dig a little deeper, you find the city has many other gems to explore. Here are just a few of my favourites:
Tiny tucked-away artist studios
Two of my favourite small museums are actually the homes and studios of artists who left their collections and spaces to the people of Paris.
Musee Zadkine
Ossip Zadkine was a Russian French sculptor who lived and worked in Paris for most of his adult life. He was prolific (creating over 600 sculptures in his lifetime), and the works in his studio home reveal his artistic explorations through a range of styles and media. Although Zadkine is known for his cubist work, he has also been described as ‘unclassifiable’ because of the diversity of styles in which he worked. You will find the Musee Zadkine tucked away behind an apartment block on rue d’Assas in Montparnass.
(Bonus: While you are there, take a walk through the Luxembourg Gardens just
about a block away. There are two pavilions there which often have exhibitions by contemporary artists. https://jardin.senat.fr/en/cultural-programme.html#c4086 )
Picture references:
The garden studio contains a shelf of books and some of the artist’s carving tools. I found this display fascinating as an adjunct to the artwork he created. I felt a sense of the artist and his practice in this small corner. My absolute favourite piece in the museum was the pair of dancer’s feet.
The garden studio contains a shelf of books and some of the artist’s carving tools. I found this display fascinating as an adjunct to the artwork he created. I felt a sense of the artist and his practice in this small corner. My absolute favourite piece in the museum was the pair of dancer’s feet.
Le Musee de la Vie Romantique
Another favourite is unfortunately closed until 2026 but worth putting on a list for a future trip:
Le Musee de la Vie Romantique is a delightful step into the past, situated at 16, rue Chaptal in the Quartier Pigalle. Originally the home of artist Ary Scheffer. He counted as his friends other creatives of the time including DelaCroix and Chopin. The museum contains items of interest belonging to the writer George Sands (real name: Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil) who was Chopin’s lover and an advocate of women’s rights. She caused a scandal by choosing a man’s name as her pen name. While this isn’t purely an artist’s studio, it does give insight into the lifestyles of this group of creative artists of the time. It’s a charming collection worth a visit if you are in Paris.
Better known Art Delights of Paris
We all love the Louvre and the Musée D’Orsay but these days, I’m just as inclined to go for a few others which offer something a little different.
- The Rodin Museum is a delight. In good weather you can take your time in the garden viewing his large sculptures. A tranquil treat in the centre of this buzzy city. The house and studio contain some of Rodin’s paintings and sketches which I found absolutely fascinating.
- Not really a small museum but one we visited for the first time this year, and loved, was the Louis Vuitton Foundation. The building alone is worth the trip. Check the website before visiting to make sure you’re interested in the latest exhibition. They change every few months. The Foundation is a fair way from the centre of Paris. You can reach the Foundation on the Metro with about 15 minutes of walking at the end of the trip.
- If you haven’t ever been, Musée de l’Orangerie at Place de la Concorde is one for fans of Monet’s waterlillies. Standing in the oval gallery absolutely surrounded by this painting is an unforgettable experience. Monet offered the paintings to mark the Armistice in 1918 and he designed the gallery installation himself. The museum houses other permanent and temporary exhibitions but the waterlily gallery is the jewel in its collection.
Walk the streets
There is so much to see just walking through Paris. I find myself noticing things that make me smile all the time. From pavement repairs to building wall decorations, carved stonework to department store tiles, the whole city is filled with little moments of aesthetic joy.
