The Jacquemart-André Museum, a love for art

Nélie Jacquemart and Édouard André were one of the most iconic couples in 19th-century Parisian artistic and social life. Édouard André (1833–1894), heir to a family fortune, was a banker and passionate art collector. Nélie Jacquemart (1841–1912), for her part, was a talented portrait painter and student of Léon Cogniet, who gained recognition for her works exhibited at the Paris Salon.

In 1869, Édouard André commissioned architect Henri Parent to build a sumptuous private mansion—now the Jacquemart-André Museum—to house his growing art collection. He met Nélie Jacquemart in 1872 and married her in 1881. After their marriage, they traveled throughout Europe together, acquiring masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance, Flemish paintings, and objets d'art, transforming their home into a true private museum.

Following Édouard's death in 1894, Nélie continued their shared endeavor, further enriching the collection. In 1912, she bequeathed the mansion and its treasures to the Institut de France, gifting Paris a unique museum that you can reach from the Mathis in just an 11-minute walk.