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2014, April, Ary Scheffer, Aurore Lauth-Sand, Chopin, Delacroix, early days of King Louis-Philippe’s monarchy, George Sand, Henri Scheffer, Liszt, Musée de la Vie Romantique, Paris, Pauline Viardot, Rossini, Thiers
As this was Lois’ last full day in Paris, my goal was to at least get her to the Romantic Museum, after all we were celebrating our twentieth anniversary! Just a 15 minute walk from the apartment in the 9th arrondissement, we made it to the front entrance on the street and looked up the alleyway to the museum just as it started pouring rain, and we did not bring an umbrella! The entry is free, the dry cover of the inside of the museum, priceless! Without quoting too much from the brochure, it is a very special place with the auora of a bygone era, it was, romantic to say the least.
It is one of the few remaining artists homes, dating from the early days of King Louis-Philippe’s monarchy. The ground floor displays keepsakes, furniture and portraits, previously owned by the writer George Sand (1804-1876) and bequeathed by her grand-daughter Aurore Lauth-Sand to the City of Paris in 1923.
The upper floor offers highlights of Ary Scheffer’s art (portraits, historic and religious paintings…) among other artefacts of Romanticism.
Each Friday Ary Scheffer would entertain prestigious guests in his working studio opening to the left of the passage – when arriving –: George Sand, Chopin, Delacroix, Rossini, Liszt, Pauline Viardot, Thiers… The opposite studio was used by his brother, the painter Henri Scheffer, as well
as assistants and pupils. These twin studios facing north, on each side of the paved courtyard, are used nowadays to show two temporary exhibitions each year.