M, our special correspondent, gives us a look at the man and the legend, Pierre Cardin. It is rare to meet a man without equal but Pierre Cardin is such a man. He welcomed a group of journalists from the Association de la Presse Etrangère with humility, kindness and generosity, that, in spite of his advanced age of 92 and limited time for work, made me feel as if we had all the time in the world.

Behind this somewhat mysterious name is hidden one of the capital’s most genuinely Parisian museums. The oldest of the municipal museums tells the story of Paris from a bygone era (a prehistoric dugout canoe dating from 4600 BC) to the present day, in all its immense variety.

Just steps away from the most prestigious couture boutiques, the Galliera Museum is located in a Renaissance-inspired palace. Through temporary monographic exhibitions – renowned couturier, major figures in fashion – or thematic exhibitions – by decade, type of clothes, trends and influences – the museum displays part of its invaluable and fragile collection, which bear witness to the creative genius in fashion from the 18th century to present day. The museum does not display its permanent collection.

This museum was established in 1909 by the Prefect Louis Lépine, made famous by the inventors contest that bears his name. He brings a rich testimony with the pieces together for the 1900 Universal Exhibition.

At one time visitors could admire twenty-four paintings by Rubens celebrating Marie de Medicis and around a hundred paintings from the Royal collection (Cabinet du Roi) by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Veronese, Titian, Poussin, Van Dyck and Rembrandt. After these works were transferred to the Louvre, the Musée du Luxembourg was designated in 1818 a “museum for living artists”, or in other words, a museum of contemporary art. David, Ingres and Delacroix, among others, were exhibited there.

Inaugurated in 1961, the Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris (or MaM) is located in the east wing of the Palais de Tokyo.The museum is dedicated to contemporary creation in all its forms: painting, sculpture, installations, photography and video.

REOPENING OF THE MUSEUM MAILLOL September 2016

The Petit Palais was built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition, like its neighbour the Grand Palais, on avenue Winston Churchill. It became a museum in 1902. Designed by Charles Girault, it is based on a trapezium shape and is made up of four wings around a semi-circular garden bordered by a richly decorated peristyle. The architect achieved a successful blend of traditional and modern architecture which is evident in the natural flow of visitors around the building and in the bold openings he created onto the Champs-Elysées gardens and inner courtyard garden.