Today I’m over at The Daily Basics, featuring one of my favorite types of museums – the house museum. Much like I did in these pages with the hotel particuliere of Nissim de Camondo in Paris, I’m sharing one of those artistic jewels that many people miss when they travel because they don’t know any better.
The palace of the 17th Marques de Cerralbo was left to the Spanish state in 1922 and its contents have been left intact. As with all house museums, the Cerralbo offers us a look into the artistic heritage of the past and how people lived with their art. A contemporary of the banker Nissim de Camondo, Cerralbo was an aristo, so it’s curious to see how each person collected. In the case of Camondo, it was mostly French 18th century fine and decorative art, while Cerralbo was much more “eclectic” in his taste and collected both French and Spanish. The houses are also quite different and although both built around the same time, the Cerralbo Palace is truly a 19th century home, whereas Camondo’s is a mini version of Versailles.
Come with me over to The Daily Basics to check out this over-the-top 19th century manse.
richard rabel
principal
richard rabel: interiors + art
interior design and art advising
new york city
image credits: Museo Cerralbo, Madrid
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