L'extraordinaire hôtel Païva

Description

Between 1856 and 1866, on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, was built what was to remain a masterpiece of Second Empire architecture and décor: the Hôtel Païva, built by the architect Pierre Manguin for the Marquise de Païva, a rich and accomplished courtesan who became a lady of taste envied by the Parisian elite. The hotel was designed as an exceptional showcase for the work of the best artists and craftsmen of the time. Paintings by Paul Baudry rub shoulders with sculptures by Jules Dalou and Albert Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, ceramics by Théodore Deck and superb fireplaces by Barbedienne. Thanks to recently discovered archives and a photographic collection dating from the construction of the hotel, kept at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, the history of this residence and its owner are apprehended under a new glance.