The Museum of Romantic Life
a timeless place

Shop display windows are bursting with hearts. Restaurants are offering intimate dinners for two. Ads are focusing on perfumes and jewellery. You can certainly tell that Valentine's Day is almost here. But here at the Maison Mère we prefer to tell you about a fascinating place where the art of the Romanticism movement still retains its poignancy; the Musée de la Vie Romantique (Museum of Romantic Life).

The Museum of Romantic Life ©The Museum of Romantic Life Paris Upside Down

The Museum of Romantic Life;
in the footsteps of the great romantic artists

In the heart of the Nouvelle Athènes quarter stands a house built in the 1830s. This is the former home of Ary Scheffer, a renowned portrait painter who welcomed artistic Paris here in the first half of the 19th century. By entering these walls, you will feel the presence of Delacroix, who was a neighbour, of Liszt and Chopin, of Turgenev, Dickens and Rossini. Later, it was the daughter of Ernest Renan, grand-niece of Scheffer, and the artist’s daughter who received the culturally aware society of the Belle Epoque.

Maison Mère - Musée de la Vie Romantique ©Maison Mère - Musée de la Vie Romantique

A special atmosphere
and wonderful works

The magic of the Musée de la Vie Romantique lies both in the richness of the works collected by Scheffer and his heirs, such as the famous portrait of George Sand by Charpentier or that of Victor Hugo by Langres, and its timeless atmosphere. From the magnificent rooms of the main building to the light-filled ateliers, and especially in the gardens decorated with trellises and wisteria, there reigns a calm, a peace, an impression of isolation that is perfect for a romantic moment. 

Maison Mère - Musée de la Vie Romantique ©Maison Mère - Musée de la Vie Romantique

Discover the museum’s collection of sculptures, paintings, drawings and archives, then stroll through the gardens before tasting a delicious pâtisserie from the tearoom while seated on a terrace overflowing with roses.

Away from overhyped attractions and the maddening crowds of tourists, the Musée de la Vie Romantique invites you on a charming journey into another century, to meet artists who helped to define their era. In addition, until July, the museum is presenting an exhibition entitled Hearts; Romanticism in Contemporary Art.