Petit Palais

A masterpiece of the Belle Époque, the Petit Palais was built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle to celebrate the arts and the city of Paris.

Site History

Like the neighboring Grand Palais, the Petit Palais was built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle. A masterpiece of the Belle Époque, the trapezoidal building houses a collection of sculptures and murals dating from 1903–1925. Designed by renowned architect Charles Girault, it blends traditional and modern architecture, as evidenced in the natural flow of the space and the bold openings onto the Jardins des Champs-Elysées and the inner courtyard garden. Girault sought to create a building with the grandeur and dignity of an official palace, with the aim of celebrating the arts and glorifying the city of Paris. The Petit Palais features decorative murals, painted ceilings, mosaics and stained-glass windows. Magnificent frescoes by Paul Albert Baudouin (1844–1931) adorn the peristyle in the inner garden. The permanent collection includes paintings and sculptures acquired by the city of Paris since 1870, along with the Dutuit collection of premodern works.

About the Project

The restoration concerns the frescoes in the peristyle of the inner garden. Restoration work will be carried out in four phases, corresponding to four areas of the peristyle’s vault. For each of these phases, the restorers will carry out consolidation, cleaning and dust removal; filling of cracks; and color and pigment reintegration. The Petit Palais financed the first emergency phase and the preliminary study of the garden peristyle up to €200,000.

The Petit Palais Today

The Petit Palais offers free entry to the permanent collection. It also serves as a stunning venue for private events—including FHS’s 40th anniversary gala in 2022.