The Musée Cognacq-Jay is a museum located in the Hôtel Donon in the 3rd arrondissement in Paris. The museum contains a collection of over 1000 items of fine and decorative art with an emphasis on 18th century France including:
- European and Chinese ceramics
- 17th century paintings (notably two paintings by Rembrandt)
- 19th century paintings (including those of Paul Cézanne and Edgar Degas)
- Jewels, and snuffboxes
- French paintings including those by Maurice Quentin de La Tour and Jean-Antoine Watteau
- French sculpture
- Fine furniture
Ernest Cognac-Jay was the founder of the La Samaritaine department store who happened to be an art lover and collector who was a patron of 18th century art. Businessman Ernest Cognacq and his wife Marie-Louise Jay gathered this museum’s collection between 1900 and 1925. At his death in 1928, Cognacq gave the collection to the City of Paris. The Musee-Cognacq-Jay showcases his exceptional taste by housing his private collection for the benefit of the public. The museum itself it located in a townhouse that squarely places you back in the 18th century.
The Cognacq-Jay Museum is one of the 14 City of Paris' Museums that have been incorporated since January 1st 2013 in the public institution Paris Musées. The museum is open daily except Monday; admission is free. The nearest Metro stations are Saint-Paul and Chemin Vert.Permanent exhibitions are free for everyone, while temporary exhibits are only free for children under 14 years old. Website for Musee Cognacq-Jay: http://www.paris.fr/loisirs/musees-expos/musee-cognacq-jay/p6466
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Musee-Cognacq-Jay/142920225725365
Room inside Musee Cognacq-Jay
(Photo from Chasqui (Luis Tamayo))
Musee Cognacq-Jay
(Photo from Chasqui (Luis Tamayo))
Musée Cognacq-Jay
(Photo from desparlsp)
Map of Musee Cognacq-Jay:
Address: 8 Rue Elzevir, 75003 Paris, FranceView Larger Map
http://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum-monument/71087/Mus%C3%A9e-Cognacq-Jay In the heart of the Marais area, between a courtyard and a garden, a fine private mansion presents an exceptional 18th century art collection: paintings by Boucher ...
Some Quotes from Travellers about the Musee Cognacq-Jay
- "This free little museum is a welcome way to see some lovely paintings by Fragonard …"
- "Definitely worth to visit. Small but cozy.."
- "Nice way to revisit what a bourgeois Paris home was like over a century ago."
