Art dealer, Kamel Mennour, hosts various prominent contemporary artists, many photographers, in his airy gallery housed in a Parisian hotel particulier. Larry Clark, David LaChapelle, Alberto Garcia-Alix have all graced his walls.

12th September will be the ten year anniversary of his gallery opening and partnering with the neighboring gallery KREO, group showcalled  “10 printemps en automne” will mark the occasion and retrace the artistic history of the gallery .

Visit his site for other current exhibitions.

Practical Information

Address: 47 rue St-André-des-Arts, 75006
Telephone: 00 33 (0)1 56 24 03 63
Metro: Odéon, St-Michel
Open: Tueday-Saturday, 11h-19h

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CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS UNTIL 2012

“I am the greatest collector of Picassos in the world.” – Pablo Picasso

Over 3,000 works of the world’s most famous artist are on display in this hotel particulier in the Marais district.  Arranged largely chronologically, the sketch books, photos, sculptures and paintings offer a comprehensive overview of the evolution of Picasso’s techniques. His art is put in context of the times with press clippings, caricatures, and reviews. Works by other artists such as Matisse, Chirico, Degas or Cezanne collected by Picasso are also there.

Practical Information

Tel: 00 33 (0)1 42 71 25 21
Address: Hotel Sale 5, rue de Thorigny, 75003
Metro: Saint-Paul, Chemin-Vert, Saint-Sebastien Froissart
Open: Monday-Sunday, 9h30-16h45; Closed on Tuesday
Entry fee: 6.50 € – 8.50 € Free for visitors under 18

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Presentation

Step back in time and discover bourgeois life inside a 16th century mansion.
This museum displays the private collection of art lovers Ernest Cognacq and Marie-Louise Jay, founders of La Samaritaine, one of the first departments stores of Paris. Here one can see great examples of 18th century French art: Boucher, Fragonard, Chardin, Watteau are all framed by opulent furnishings, paneling and accessorized by jewels, snuffboxes, clocks, china and other every day items.

Hotel Donon, a 16th century Paris townhouse, was built by the Superintendent of Royal Buildings to Charles IX & Henry III and stands monument,together with Hotel Carnavalet, to the original chic Paris district.

Practical Information

Tel: 00 33 (0)1 40 27 07 21
Address: 8, rue Elzévir, 75003
Metro: Saint-Paul, Chemin-Vert, Rambuteau
Open: Tuesday-Sunday, 10h-18h
Entry fee: Free for all visitors

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For those looking to get more out of visiting this institution of impressionist art, why not join a guided tour? Around 90 minutes in length, various versions and themes are available depending on the language . Currently in English two version are given, one focuses on 19 century art and the second to the museum collection overall. Cost is just an additional 7,50 euros to one’s regular admission ticket. A note to parents – children under 13 are not allowed as there are specially designed tours for them. Start times are around 11h, 14h and 16h.

Practical Information

Address: Musée d’Orsay, 1, rue de la Légion d’Honneur, 75007
Metro: Assemble National, Solferino
Opening Hours: Tues.- Sat. 09h30-18h, Thurs. to 21h45 (last entry 1 hr before closing)
Admission: 9,50 euros;  Free for visitors under 18

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This is the original of now six sites of the French National Library, heir of the royal library of France, itself dating back to 1368. Site Richelieu is dedicated to coins, stamps, maps, manuscripts, music, objects and prints, holding the rarest objects including first examples of human writing. Apart from the impressing oval reading room and many dedicated libraries, it is also a site for separate art galleries, hosting numerous exhibits throughout the year. It should definitely be one of the stops while exploring the covered galleries, the Paris Stock Exchange and small boutiques of the 2nd district before heading over to Palais Royal gardens.

Practical Information

Bibliothèque nationale de France – Site Richelieu
00 33  1 53 79 59 59
58, rue de Richelieu, 75002
Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sunday noon – 7 p.m.
Closed Mondays and public holidays
Métro: Palais Royal
http://www.bnf.fr/visiterichelieu/

image from Wikipedia

Do not be fooled by the name as this is not a jewelry shop, but a full-fledged modern art gallery. A French trail blazer for corporate sponsorships in the arts, the Cartier foundation was inaugurated in 1984 with a mission to support young artists worldwide.

The foundation prides itself on the freedom it allows to artists to experiment and create, commissioning a great number of works and hosting at least 5 exhibitions each season. In its collection are more than 1000 works by 300 artists.

The steel and glass structure of the Cartier Foundation contains 12000 square feet ( 1200 sq meters) of transformable exhibition space, the design is by Jean Nouvel, also credited with  Musée du Quai Branly & Institut du Monde Arabe.

It is adorned by one of Patrick Blanc’s famous hanging gardens and the Lebanese cedar tree it contains in the center dates back to 1823 when it was originally planted by the famous french author Chateaubriand. A medieval medicinal garden extends in the back and makes for a beautiful and serene piece of nature just off the busy boulevard.

33 01 42 18 56 50
261, boulevard Raspail, 75014
M: Raspail, Denfert-Rochereau
Open: Tuesday- Sunday, 11 h – 20 h (Tuesdays until 22 h)
Entrance fee : 6,50 €,  free for children under 10
http://fondation.cartier.com

Exhibition space dedicated to photography and contemporary art. Located inside the Tuileries Gardens, the 19th century building previously housed a practice hall for a french game called jeu de paume, a percursor to modern tennis, but in 2004 has been reopened as a museum.

Traveling exhibitions like those in 2008 of Lee Miller and Richard Avedon have been shown there.

The gallery offers one the opportunity to see great art but not be overwhelmed by large quanities of pieces. Free guided tours are avaiable for anyone with an entry ticket.

http://www.jeudepaume.org

33 01 47 03 12 50
1, place de la Concorde, 75008
M: Concorde
http://www.jeudepaume.org

Hours
Tuesday: 12:00 – 21:00
Wednesday – Friday: 12:00 – 19:00
Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 – 19:00

Ticket sales end half an hour before the closure of the exhibition spaces.

Admission
Admission: 7 €
Concessions: 4 €
Combined ticket for the Concorde and Sully sites: 8 €
Concessions: 5 €
This ticket can be used on the second site at any time during the duration of the exhibition in question.

One of many ‘hotels particuliers’ of Marais, Hotel Sully is now home to one of the sites of Jeu de Paume galleries, dedicated to photography. When spending the day in the bustle of Place des Vosges and Bastille, this place offers one cool and quiet inside its courtyard which is accessible to everyone.

Hotel de Sully
33 01 42 74 47 75
62, rue Saint-Antoine, 75004
M: St Paul, Bastille
Open: Tuesday – Friday 12h – 19h; Saturday and Sunday 10h – 19h

image from wikipedia