History of the Hôtel André, from 1868 to 2026
Édouard André, before the house
Édouard André was born in 1833 into a family of Protestant bankers. Saint-Cyr at 18, officer in Napoleon III’s Imperial Guard, MP in 1864: he was a man of the regime. He began collecting in 1860—Delacroix, Orientalists, the Barbizon School—then turned to 18th-century French art and Italy. When Haussmann cut the boulevard that bears his name, André bought a plot of land and had a mansion built. This is the context explored in the walk through Haussmann’s Paris, which passes by the façade.
1868–1876: Henri Parent
The commission dates from 1868, construction from 1869 to 1875. Parent set the façade back from the boulevard’s alignment, behind a courtyard, which still distinguishes the mansion from its neighboring buildings. Inside, he linked the reception rooms, the winter garden, and the double-revolution staircase that impressed guests in 1876. This sequence of rooms is the one visitors explore today, and I describe it in what to see, room by room.
1872-1881: The Portrait and the Marriage
In 1872, Nélie Jacquemart, a renowned portraitist, painted Édouard’s portrait. They married in 1881, despite their differing religious and political backgrounds. The couple had no children and traveled each year to Italy and the Near East to make purchases. The Italian museum on the upper floor is the result of these journeys. I’ve dedicated a page to Nélie Jacquemart.
1894-1912: Nélie Alone
Édouard died in 1894. Nélie won a lawsuit against the André family to keep the house, continued purchasing art, and in 1902 acquired the royal abbey of Chaalis. In 1912, she bequeathed the mansion and its collections to the Institut de France, with precise hanging instructions that the museum still follows today. On December 8, 1913, President Raymond Poincaré inaugurated the museum; 800 visitors came the next day, and 1,700 the following Sunday. Since then, the house has belonged to the Institut de France.
2023-2026: Restoration and the 150th Anniversary
From autumn 2023 to September 2024, the museum closed for about a year to restore Tiepolo’s fresco, as well as the marbles and bronzes in the staircase. It reopened with “Masterpieces from the Borghese Gallery,” from September 6, 2024, to February 9, 2025, followed by “Georges de La Tour: Between Shadow and Light,” from September 11, 2025, to February 22, 2026, and now “Eternal Tintoretto.” For the 150th anniversary of the house, the museum will host a costumed ball, “A Night in the Belle Époque,” on November 14, 2026. This is a museum event, not a product I’m comparing here.
What works
- A House Preserved as Intended by the 1912 Bequest
- A recent restoration: the staircase and fresco are now pristine
- Open every day, Fridays until 10 pm
- The neighborhood itself tells the story, on foot
Things to know
- The ball on November 14, 2026 is booked through the museum, not here
- Admission tickets are purchased at the museum, not on GetYourGuide
- Opera evenings only showcase the ground floor
- The grand staircase is climbed single file on Saturday afternoons
Before visiting, take the walk: Opéra, boulevard Haussmann, the mansion seen from outside, Saint-Augustin, Parc Monceau. You’ll then understand why the façade is set back and why the grand salon is so large. Details on the Haussmannian walk.
The 1876 salons, by night
Two Verdi operas are performed in the salons after closing. It’s the only chance to see them as the guests at the inauguration did—without the crowds.
Reminder: the above evening event is booked via GetYourGuide, but the museum entry ticket is purchased at the museum ticket office or at the desk at 158.
Frequently asked questions
Who built the Jacquemart-André mansion?
The architect Henri Parent, for the banker Édouard André, from 1869 to 1875, with the inauguration in 1876. The layout of the rooms is in what to see.
When has the museum been open since?
Since December 8, 1913, following Nélie Jacquemart’s bequest to the Institut de France in 1912. See who owns it.
Why was the museum closed in 2023-2024?
To restore Tiepolo’s fresco, the marbles, and the bronzes of the staircase, from autumn 2023 to September 2024. See the masterpieces.
What’s happening for the 150th anniversary of the house?
A costume ball, “A Night in the Belle Époque,” on November 14, 2026, organized by the museum. Opera evenings are described on the page opera in the salons.