General Information

The Musée Cognacq-Jay has a splendid collection of fine art and decorative items that includes paintings, sculptures, furniture, ceramics, jewellery and snuffboxes, and amounts to 1200 objects, mostly from the 18th century. The museum is housed in Hôtel Donon, where the exhibits are displayed in rooms in the styles of Louis XV and Louis XVI.

History: Highlights

The museum’s collection was formed between 1900-1925 by Théodore-Ernest Cognacq (1839-1928) and his wife Marie-Louise Jay (1838–1925), founders of La Samaritaine department store. At his death, Cognacq gave the collection to the City of Paris, and in 1929 the Musée Cognacq-Jay was inaugurated.