Musée des Arts Décoratifs

The Musee des Arts Decoratifs occupies the western wing of the Louvre palace, easily identified by the long rows of arched windows lining the Rue de Rivoli. It began in the late nineteenth century when a group of collectors campaigned for a public museum dedicated to the applied arts. They wanted to show how daily objects, from furniture to jewelry, reflected the skill of French craftsmen. In nineteen hundred and one, the institution moved into this space, formerly reserved for imperial administrative offices.