Musée de la Vie Romantique

Musée de la Vie Romantique Review

A visit to the charming Museum of the Romantic Life, dedicated to novelist George Sand (1804-76), will transport you to the countryside. In a pretty 1830s mansion in a tree-lined courtyard, the small permanent collection includes drawings by Delacroix and Ingrès, among others, though Sand is the star. There are glass cases stuffed with her jewelry and snuff boxes, and even a mold of the hand of composer Frederic Chopin, one of her many lovers. The museum, about a five-minute walk from the Musée Gustave Moreau, is in a picturesque neighborhood once called New Athens, a reflection of the architectural tastes of the writers and artists who lived there. There is usually an interesting temporary exhibit. The garden café is a nice for lunch or afternoon tea (open from Easter to October).