The Musée Nissim de Camondo is a historic house museum of French decorative arts, located in the Hôtel Camondo at 63 rue de Monceau, on the edge of Parc Monceau in Paris’s 8th arrondissement.
The home was built in 1911 by Ottoman-born Jewish banker and art collector Count Moïse de Camondo, inspired by the Petit Trianon at Versailles. It was designed to house his remarkable collection of decorative arts and fine furniture.
Tragedy shaped its fate. In 1917, the Count’s only son, Nissim, was killed in World War I. Shattered by the loss, the Count withdrew from society and dedicated himself entirely to perfecting his collection. When he died in 1935, he left the house and all it contained to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, stipulating that it become a museum in Nissim’s memory.
Just nine years later, the Count’s last surviving heir, his daughter Béatrice, was deported to Auschwitz along with her family during the Nazi occupation of France. None survived. The Camondo family line ended, leaving the house as its sole surviving legacy.
Opened as a museum in 1936, the house remains as it was when the Count lived there. Visitors can explore three levels:
- Lower ground floor: the vast kitchens and service areas.
- Upper ground floor: the formal reception rooms.
- First floor: the private apartments.
Every room reflects exquisite craftsmanship — needlepoint chairs, Savonnerie carpets woven in 1678 for the Louvre’s Grande Galerie, and masterpieces by celebrated cabinetmakers such as Jean-François Oeben, Jean Henri Riesener, and Georges Jacob.
The walls display Beauvais and Aubusson tapestries, portraits by Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun, landscapes by Guardi and Hubert Robert, and hunting scenes by Jean-Baptiste Oudry. Table settings include the Orloff silver dinner service commissioned by Catherine the Great, and Sèvres porcelain with hand-painted birds from the 1780s. Other treasures include a Houdon bust, Chinese vases, crystal chandeliers, and intricate bas-reliefs.
Walking through the Musée Nissim de Camondo is an emotional experience. The elegance and refinement are breathtaking — yet the silence speaks of loss. The museum reflects the Count’s deep love for Paris and France, but the fate of his family in World War II underscores the fragility of Jewish life in Europe.
For me, the story drives home a hard truth: after the Shoah, the existence of a Jewish homeland became not merely an aspiration, but an imperative — despite its own risks and complexities. In the shadow of such loss, the alternative is unthinkable, especially now, as antisemitism in France and around the world is once again on the rise. History has already shown us what happens when there is no refuge.
You can see more of my photos of this beautiful home here.
Sources: Musée Nissim de Camondo, Official Site | Musée Nissim de Camondo – WikipediaMoïse de Camondo – Wikipedia | An Ottoman Jew in Paris: The Story of Moïse de Camondo and His Museum – UW Stroum Center for Jewish Studies | The French Count Who Turned His Home Into a Museum to Honor His Dead Son – The New York Times | Nissim de Camondo Museum | Paris Insiders Guide | Amazon.com: Letters to Camondo eBook : Waal, Edmund De: Kindle Store