Musée Jacquemart-André.....an unexpected treat!

I know...I have been a real slacker when it comes to the blog.  Rick has done such a good job, that I am feeling a little inadequate!  But this afternoon, I was inspired to write after visiting the Musée Jacquemart-Andre.
Let me start by saying that every afternoon, we try to take in something cultural around Paris.
We are running out of time, and there is still so much to see.
Today, we decided to go the Musée Jacquemart-Andre.
Neither Rick nor I (nor Joanie) knew anything about this museum, other than what was written in the Rick Steve's guidebook (aka our travel bible).  We wanted something a little smaller than the other museums that we had recently visited....mainly because Joanie was not digging the "museum" idea.  I cannot say I totally blame her.  The Louvre is so big;  I appreciate it for what it is, but I cannot say that it is my favorite.  The Orsay is wonderful, but it is crowded and requires a fair amount of time to truly appreciate it.   So something small that could be covered in under 90 minutes was what we were hoping to find.
All I can say is....WOW!
If you are planning to come to Paris, make sure this museum is on your list.
The museum was the actual home of Edouard André and his wife Nélie Jacquemart.   They had no children, so they could spend their money on art and their furnishings, rather than on college funds.
The home is filled with paintings by Botticelli, Rembrandt, Fragonard....just to name a few.

My favorite part was the double helix staircase that is located in the Winter Garden room.  The man who designed it lost out to Charles Garnier when it came to designing the Paris Opera House.  So this guy was no slouch. It is made of marble, iron,  stone and bronze.  It is breathtakingly beautiful.  

At the top of the staircase is a fresco that the couple purchased from an Italian villa in 1893.

There is so much more to this house, but words do not do it justice.

I asked my minion what she thought of it, and she said that she actually liked it. 
I'll take that as an endorsement!

This was a panoramic shot that Rick took on his iPhone

After the museum, we walked to the beautiful Parc Monceau and had goȗter.  
All in all, a pretty nice way to spend an afternoon.