The Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild is also home to a Cabinet of Curiosity, which, along with the Rotonde Balzac, is the only room of the mansion that kept the entirety of its original decoration, as wished by Adèle de Rothschild. This Cabinet of Curiosity is a small 40m2 private room with more than 400 artworks acquired by Salomon and Adèle de Rothschild. The eminently artistic nature of the place is reflected in its lavish decoration of old stained glasses, golden leather walls as well as a 17th century tapestry on the ceiling.
Inside, collections from the Antiquity to the beginning of the 20th century, mainly from Europe, Asia and the East, are presented in cabinets. The collection consists of a substantial gathering of sculpted Chinese jades, old ceramics, western and eastern weapons, along with Renaissance and 19th century sculptures, like The Alsatian Orphan by Auguste Rodin, among other items. Paintings and drawings from the 19th century by Eugène Delacroix, Ary Scheffer, Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps and Eugène Lami are also exhibited around the cabinet, last of the Rothschild’s homes in France.
The Cabinet of Curiosity has been open to the public upon reservation since 2017.
You can see a virtual model of the room in the program “Les collections Rothschild dans les institutions publiques françaises” by the Institut national d’histoire de l’art (INHA) :
https://collections.rothschild.inha.fr/fr/institutions/cartographie-des-etablissements/partenaires/paris-fondation-des-artistes.html (in French only)
Since 2017, the Fondation des Artistes has been organizing guided tours of the gardens, Rotonde Balzac and the Cabinet of Curiosity of the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild for individual visitors and groups upon reservation.
Individual visitor tour in French
For individual visitors, guided tours are given in French by a lecturer-guide. Their duration is about 1h30.
Reservation is mandatory and groups should be no bigger than 10 people for security reasons.
Group tour in French or foreign languages
Group tours are given in French or another language by a guide-lecturer. Their duration is about 1h30.
Reservation is mandatory and reservation depends on the availabilities of the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild* and the guide-lecturers. Reservation by telephone at (+33) 1 45 63 59 02, or email at visite@fondationdesartistes.fr
For security reasons, no more than 10 people are authorized to visit the Cabinet of Curiosity at the same time. It can be extended to 20 visitors in the same time slot upon reservation of a second guide-lecturer with the Fondation des Artistes. The two groups will start at the same time to visit the gardens, the Rotonde Balzac and the Cabinet of Curiosity accompanied by two guide-lecturers each in charge of a group of maximum 10 people.
Based on their availability, guide-lecturers can give tours in French, English, Spanish, German and Dutch.
*The Fondation des Artistes reserves the right to change the modalities of a tour in case of unanticipated events.
Admission and reservation
Admission fee for individual tours in French organized two times per month:
- Full admission: 12,50 €
- Reduced fee: 8,50 € for 16-26-years old, job seekers, recipients of the RSA and artists
- Free for children under 16, holder of an ICOM card and disabled people holder of an invalidity card or a Priority for people with disability card and their aide.
Admission fee for groups:
Tours in French from Monday to Saturday, from 9:30am to 6pm
- For up to 10 visitors (aide included): 130 € (tax included)
- From 11 to 20 visitors (aide included): 260 € (tax included)
Tours in foreign language and/or after 7pm, and/or on Sundays
- For up to 10 visitors (aide included): 200 € (tax included)
- From 11 to 20 visitors (aide included): 400 € (tax included)
Terms of payment:
Admission fees should be paid at the latest 8 days before the day of the visit:
- Via bank check to the Fondation des Artistes mailed to:
Fondation des Artistes, Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild, 11 rue Berryer, 75008 Paris
Please indicate on the back of the check or on a separate paper the name of the people included in the payment as well as the date of your visit.
- In cash at the admission desk of the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild, 11 rue Berryer, 75008 Paris, from Monday to Friday, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm, and 1:30 pm to 7 pm.
If you cannot pay in any of the above options (non-Parisian residents or no checkbook), please contact the foundation via phone call at (+33) 1 45 63 59 02, or email at visite@fondationdesartistes.fr
Useful information
Download the general conditions to visit the Cabinet of Curiosity (in French only)