Paris offers so many opportunities to see wonderful art, through its many museums. Of course everyone knows the top museums, like the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay, and the museums focused on individual artists such as Rodin or Picasso.

But we also know the Louvre can be overwhelming (here are some tips on how to visit) and the Orsay is often very crowded. If you want to see art in some smaller, more intimate settings, consider these museums, based on private collections.

Jacquemart-André Museum

The Jacquemart-André Museum, not far from the Arc de Triomphe, is the wonderful collection of two 19th century art conoisseurs, Eduard André and Nélie Jacquemart. They had plenty of taste and plenty of money, and the results are wonderful. More...

Part of a fresco by Tiepolo,
Jacquemart-André Museum, Paris.

Musée Nissim de Camondo

Just a few blocks away, on the Parc Monceau, is the Musée Nissim de Camondo. This is the private collection of a wealthy 19th century Turkish banker and is part of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. More...

Cognacq-Jay Museum

The Cognacq-Jay Museum, in the Marais, is also the collection of a wealthy art-loving couple. Ernest Cognacq and his wife Marie-Louise Jay, founders of the Samaritaine department store, focused particularly on 18th century art and donated many works of art to the city of Paris. More...

Marmottan Monet Museum

Michel Monet, son of Claude Monet, donated his father's collection of paintings to the Marmottan Monet Museum in 1966. This wonderful museum is in the 16th arrondissement, near the Bois de Boulogne. For Monet-lovers it is a must-see! More...

Walter-Guillaume collection

Although the Orangerie is best known as the home of Monet's famous Water Lilies, the lower level houses the Walter-Guillaume collection. This excellent collection includes works by Renoir, Picasso, Modigliani, Marie Laurencin, Cezanne, Matisse, Rousseau, and other Impressionists and post-Impressionists up to about 1930. More...

Picasso Museum

Pablo Picasso left his personal collection of paintings, including his own works as well as those of many other famous artists. The taxes on the collection were impossibly high, so his estate arranged to donate the paintings, in lieu of taxes, to a new Picasso Museum in Paris. More...

Musée Édith Piaf

Although not an art museum, the Musée Édith Piaf is certainy personal. This small (two room) museum is dedicated to memorabilia of this famous singer. More...

Musée Jean-Jacques Henner

Jean-Jacques Henner (1829 - 1905) was a prolific painter, known largely for his nudes, religious subjects, and portraits, and for featuring a lot of red heads in his work. More...

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