The Petit Palais (Small Palace) is located on Winston Churchill Avenue between the Seine and the Champs-Elysees. The Grand Palace is located in opposite of the Small Palace. Both palaces were built between 1897 and 1900, for the 1900 World`s Fair.
The Small Palace is built in the Art Nouveau style. In France, this style is also called Beaux Arts. For the construction of the Grand Palace, the sketches of three architects were chosen, but the Small Palace was built only by one architect, Charles Giraud. The facade is decorated with a monumental portico in the center. From this portico the Ionic colonnades radiate on both sides.
During the 1900 World`s Fair, the Small Palace housed an exhibition of French art. After the completion of the World`s Fair, the Museum of Fine Arts has been located in the Small Palace since 1902.
Here you can see a collection of French paintings, as well as works by famous Dutch artists Rembrandt and Rubens. Large expositions are devoted to ancient Greek, ancient Roman and ancient Egyptian art. There are also collections of dishes, furniture, icons, as well as sculptures by European masters.
The Small Palace has a courtyard surrounded by a colonnade. It has exotic plants and trees, and the gallery has sculptures by famous French sculptors: Rodin, Renoir, Bourdelle and others. Behind the Small Palace is a large square with pavilions and fountains.
