Molière made fun of the bourgeois gentilhomme, the middle-class man who aspired to the class of his royal betters, but the playwright would have been in awe of Comte Moïse de Camondo, whose sense of style, grace, and refinement could have taught the courtiers at Versailles a thing or two. After making a fortune in the late 19th century, the businessman built this grand hôtel particulier (mansion) in the style of the Petit Trianon and proceeded to furnish it with some of the most exquisite furniture, boiseries (wainscoting), and bibelots of the mid- to late-18th century. But the promising family tragically unraveled: the wife ran off and the son, Nissim, was killed in World War I. Upon Moïse's death in 1935, the house and its contents were left to the state as a museum named for the lost son. A few years later the daughter and her family were deported and murdered in Auschwitz. Today the house remains an impeccable tribute to its founder's life, from the gleaming salons to the refined private rooms, including the 1912 state-of-the-art kitchen. You can even see the condolence letter written by Marcel Proust, a family friend, after the death of Nissim. There are background materials available in English. if you understand French, don't miss the fascinating video on the second floor.