11.3.09

Need a piano?


The building you see here below, just crossing Rue de Rivoli from the Louvre, Place Palais Royal (see previous post about Palais Royal), was originally built in 1852 to be a hotel, the “Grand Hôtel du Louvre”. In 1855, a department store was created on the ground floor, just a few years after the creation of “Le Bon Marché” (see previous post). It was a great success and soon the whole building was needed. The hotel moved to an adjacent building – where it still is. The department store closed in 1974. (The Société du Louvre, which was the owner, is still well alive with some 30 luxury hotels (Crillon, Concorde...) and some 800 economy hotels, the crystal manufacturer Baccarat, perfume business...)

The building has since been transformed to contain some offices, but especially, on the ground floors, “Le Louvre des Antiquaires”, opening in 1978, with some 250 antique and art shops, playing on the higher level. If you have the time, it’s very pleasant to have a walk around; if you have the money, this is where you can buy a Picasso, a Daum vase, some Ming porcelain... or the antique Erard piano on the top picture.

55 comments:

Cezar and Léia said...

Hi there! Here's Cezar writing. My wife Léia cannot post now 'cause she's just blown away by this piano... About to have tears rolling down... She plays the piano and this looks like heaven. Including all the details around the piano (chandeliers, Renoir's (?) painting and so on...).

God bless you!

Anonymous said...

Oh so veerrry French. I'm not back in London yet. Still en route.

Mona said...

Wow! that is some pretty interesting and tempting stuff!

Neva said...

This is such a great post. The piano is beautiful. I am not a big fan of antiques in my house, but I love looking at them elsewhere! The Louvre was a lovely place to visit when I was there.

Shionge said...

Such grandeur Peter, hmmmm...I must have missed it. Still glad that there will always be something new for me to visit if ever I swing by to Paris again ;D

Btw, remembered I told you about my girlfriend's first visit to Paris? She bought me a LV coin purse :D

lyliane six said...

C'est surtout la place qui me manque pour le piano et mes murs sont trop bas pour les Picasso!!

Catherine said...

Bien sûr, Peter ! A la fin de ma vie, quand je ferai les comptes, j'irai y dépenser mes économies : )
Mais, effectivement, en attendant, je peux toujours y faire un tour, pour en prendre plein les yeux.

Des photos dorées à l'image de toutes ces richesses.

alice said...

Alors là, vois-tu Peter, le problème c'est qu'il faut avoir d'abord l'appartement ou même l'hôtel particulier pour aller avec ce mobilier. Une fois ce léger problème réglé, quelques babioles pour la déco, oui, pourquoi pas? ;-)
Je pense que "mes" antiquités sont moins...dorées!

Olivier said...

j'adore la première photo, j'ai envie de m'assoir au piano et de jouer "lettre a élise" (ben oui, c'est le seul morceau que je sais jouer et encore je le massacre totalement, j'ai pas dépassé les premières pages de la méthode rose ;o) ))

SusuPetal said...

Oh, very glamorous! All that gold and glitter! I wonder how that piano sounds, has it got a beautiful tone?

hpy said...

Mes goûts sont plus simples!

claude said...

Pas le temps ce matin, je rapsse plus tard pour mieux apprécier.

Cergie said...

Je n'ai pas de place pour un piano surtout à bel organ. Mais j'ai un tout petit vase Gallé...
[N'oublie pas que je suis de l'est de la France, de près de Nancy)

Jill said...

Love all that glitz and glamour Peter. Gorgeous showroom for that piano.

Bergson said...

le doré est de sorti
pour le piano je fais agrandir et je te rappelle

Ash said...

Oh-so-exotic!! I could look at these for hours :-)

Adam said...

Can I see you there in one of the pictures Peter? After what you'd said about the Bon Marché, did you ever any problems taking pictures here?

I see that reaction to these 'treasures' is mostly favourable here, but I find it all to be overpoweringly garish. In any case, it's the opposite to Swedish minimalism!

Jessica said...

What a stunning piano. Can you imagine moving that thing, though. It's better staying right where it is where everyone can enjoy it.

Ruth said...

I don't have a chateau for it, but if I did!

Parisbreakfasts said...

I've walked through here!
Who knew?
I love this area.
There's a terrific patisserie nearby too...
Aux Castelblanc something or other
These pictures are such fun!

Blind Fly Theater said...

Wow, Peter... Just discovered your blog through your post on "Paris Breakfasts." Beautiful job, and thank you for a new favorite site!

Lara said...

what a superb pianno! but no place for it :(

Virginia said...

Well you know the Palais Royal was a favorite place for photographs for me. I'll have to poke my head in here this next trip. I have an antique store today but not as fancy schmancy as yours! Just lovely! Did you play a tune?
V

Michelle said...

Very beautiful, I think it would be a bit too much for my house! lol
We would like a new piano but that might be over the top!

Cutie said...

Nice piano.. How much is it btw?

Nathalie H.D. said...

Je ne sais pas jouer du piano mais j'achèterais volontiers de beaux tableaux. Magnifique première photo et joli assortiment que tu nous offres là. Ces boutiques connaissent-elles la crise ???

Nathalie H.D. said...

J'ai beaucoup aimé ton post précédent sur le Louvre - destination d'évidence mais tu as sû sortir des photos vues partout pour donner plein d'infos pratiques, bravo.

Et j'aime beaucoup la station de métro Louvre-Rivoli. Elle mériterait un billet à elle toute seule, je trouve.

Anonymous said...

Ce sont des antiquités chics. le piano est somptueux.
J'ai loupé ton post précédent et viens de le regarder. J'étais contre cette pyramide de verre au Louvre, mais plus je la regarde, plus je ne dis que c'est une vrai curiosité. Elle tranche avec les bâtiments dépoque.

krystyna said...

Thanks to "Peter's Paris" beautiful site I can see such unique, antique Erard piano.

Best for you, Peter!

Eddy said...

Il est vrai, Peter, que toutes les dorures du louvre des antiquaires se mélangent bien avec l'architecture du quartier du palais royal.
Royal donc !
A bientôt, peut-être au coin d'une rue...

Bettina said...

Lovely photos !

These shops are a little out of my league :-(

Zhang Chunhong said...

Il faut travailler plus pour gagner plus!

Alain said...

Dans la même rue il y a aussi les petites boutiques qui proposent des "souvenirs", ce n'est pas le même style.

Rakesh Vanamali said...

Brilliant pictures Peter! Loved the one with the Piano! Also, the post on the Louvre is splendid!

Anonymous said...

That piano is magnificent. The photo of it is too.

Anonymous said...

No, Peter, I don't need any, I don't know how to play the piano. If I needed one I would prefer one with clear lines. Do you play the piano?

Azer Mantessa said...

this is embarassing
i nearly cried (i said nearly okay)
looking at the piano

it's a beautiful piano
very beautiful piano
beautiful

marie6 said...

Beautiful items and so pleasing to the eye but terribly expensive I would imagine.

Anonymous said...

j'adore ce quartier et le Louvre des antiquaires même si tout est devenu inaccessible de nos jours

PeterParis said...

Cezar:
Try to comfort her! Maybe the piano just LOOKS nice! :-)

Mo:
Obviously in Shanghai! :-)

Mona:
Tempting yes, but...!

PeterParis said...

Neva:
Sometimes you can make a nice mixture of antique and modern!

Shionge:
The "compulsory" LV! :-)

Lyliane:
Picasso a fait plein de petits tableaux! :-)

PeterParis said...

Catherine:
"A la fin..."; c'est un peu tard! :-)

Alice:
Je pense que tu peux te trouver un petit hôtel particulier à un pris intéressant en ce moment! :-)

Olivier:
Tu peux te remettre (comme moi)! :-)

PeterParis said...

SusuPetal:
I had not have the courage to open the door, ask or try! :-)

HPY:
Les miens aussi... un peu! :-)

Claude:
Quand tu veux ou peux!

PeterParis said...

Cergie:
C'est déjà ça! :-)


Jill:
It IS quite spectacular!

Bergson:
J'attends ton coup de fil! :-)

PeterParis said...

Ash:
Thanks, but I presume you have also some other tasks! :-)

Adam:
You have good eyes! I had no problems... didn't ask, nobody said anything.
Yes, the design is a bit different from IKEA.

Jessica:
Of course, but a piano should be played on! :-)

PeterParis said...

Ruth:
Not yet! :-)

ParisBreakfasts:
Maybe Angelina, a but further up the street?

SparkleMirror:
Thanks for finding me!

PeterParis said...

Lara:
Even if you try hard? :-)

Virginia:
No, I did not dare to enter!

Michelle:
I'm sorry I didn't aks for the price, but I have noticed that piano prices (also) go down! :-)

PeterParis said...

Cutie:
I have to go back and ask! :-)

Nathalie:
Je me pose aussi la question. Il se peux que l'art est une valeur refuge en ce moment?

Nathalie bis:
La station est en travaux. Peut-être un jour... :-)

PeterParis said...

Claude bis:
A mon avis il tranche peut-petre, mais il me dérange pas. Au contraire, je trouve que c'est une réussite! Il est quand' même transparente! :-)

Krystyna:
Would be nice gift to your son! Erard used to have good reputation. :-)

Eddy:
En effet, j'aimerai bien qu'on se retrouve quelque part!

PeterParis said...

Bettina:
Maybe for the moment! :-)

Zhang:
En effet! :-)

Alain:
Oui, mais unpetit plus loin! :-)

PeterParis said...

Rakesh:
Thanks!!

Abe:
Thanks!!

April:
Yes I do... let's say I do my best!

PeterParis said...

Azer:
It IS beautiful INDEED!

Marie6:
Should I check the price for you? :-)

Lasiate:
Eh oui...! :-)

Claudia said...

I'm in love with that piano! Don't think it will fit in the living room though, otherwise I would most definitely buy it ;-)

Bhavesh Chhatbar said...

What a great place, great information by you. Enjoyed a lot. Maybe I should buy that piano if my bank account permits one day :) mmmmm... why not those 30 luxury hotels as well! :)

Thanks for showing such a nice place.

Smoked Off Face at the Willingdon Crescent in Jamnagar
Birdhouses, Birdfeeders, Birdbath

PeterParis said...

travelandtrips:
Thank you Martinha!

Claudia:
If you could afford the piano, maybe you could afford a bigger house? :-)

Bhavesh:
Maybe! :-)