Petit Palais Museum

Petit Palais Museum

The Grand and Petit Palais in Paris face each other like sister palaces. Compared to the Grand Palais, the more delicate and jewel-box-like Petit Palais was designed by the renowned architect Charles Girault. It served as an exhibition venue for the 1900 World's Fair, and in 1901 the French government gifted the building to the City of Paris, making the Petit Palais the municipal art palace of Paris ever since.

Whether due to its exterior or interior decorations, people often equate it with a royal palace. The exquisitely ornate Petit Palais truly resembles a palace, echoing the architectural style of the Grand Palais: decorative Ionic capitals, finely crafted golden porticoes, and captivating sculptures all come together in magnificent Art Nouveau embellishments. Its interiors feature luxurious ceilings and splendid murals, with ornamental wall adornments accented by a series of statues.

The museum houses artworks and cultural relics collected by the City of Paris under a systematic cultural policy starting from 1870, boasting a rich collection of 19th-century art. Its permanent exhibitions include works by Romantic painters such as Géricault and Delacroix, Neoclassical artist Ingres, Realist painter Courbet, Barbizon School and Impressionist paintings, as well as creations by Art Nouveau and Symbolist artists such as Redon, and sculptures by Carpeaux and Dalou, among others. There are also medieval artifacts, Renaissance paintings, drawings, colored pottery, and 18th-century decorative arts — a true haven for art lovers.

Within the Petit Palais, there is also a courtyard featuring flowers, ponds, fountains, pathways... A small yet exquisitely charming garden, truly magnificent.

Petit Palais

Must-visit reason: One of Paris’s most worthwhile art palaces to appreciate

Continent where the attraction is located: Europe【Europe】

Country/Region where the attraction is located: France[France]

Province/State where the attraction is located: Île-de-France Region [Ile-de-France Region]

City where the attraction is located: Paris [Paris]