Housed in the duc de Valmy’s former hunting lodge (well, let’s call it a mansion), the Musée Marmottan Monet (marmottan.fr/en; adult/child €14/free) is home to the world’s largest Claude Monet collection. Take this unique chance to immerse in a real cross-section of the artist’s work, beginning with paintings such as the seminal Impression, soleil levant (1873) and En promenade près d’Argenteuil (1875), passing through numerous water-lily studies, before moving on to considerably more abstract pieces dating to the early 1900s. Masterpieces to look out for include La barque (1887), Cathédrale de Rouen (1892), Londres, le Parlement (1901) and the various Nymphéas – many of these were smaller studies for the works now on display in the Musée de l’Orangerie. This varied collection – a bequest by Monet’s last direct descendant – is showcased in a dedicated downstairs gallery designed for that purpose.
With acres of gilt and plush Empire-style furnishings, the mansion almost eclipses the art collection. Head-turning decor includes a bed that once belonged to Napoléon, an enormous wood desk sculpted with winged lions and a splendid geographic clock by porcelain powerhouse the Manufacture de Sèvres. Upstairs, don’t miss the ensemble of paintings by Berthe Morisot, the famed female impressionist. The illuminated manuscripts are also worth a gander, though the room is (understandably) dim. Temporary exhibitions, included in the admission price, are usually superb.
