It’s not fair. Paris is totally hogging all of the culture. Does it really need not one but two Asian art museums? Well, it does: the Musée Guimet (which I visited back in January) and the Musée Cernuschi. Both are named after the 19th c. collectors who put together the nucleus of the collections (and, in Cernuschi’s case, donated his swank mansion to hold it). So, how do they compare?
- Mission: The Guimet is comprehensive, displaying many different types of objects from man different cultures. The Cernuschi is selective, featuring a carefully chosen few Chinese and Japanese objects.
- Acquisition policy: the Guimet is vintage, since almost all of the objects on display there were purchased in the 19th c. The Cernuschi is evolving, with most of the displayed works having been purchased in the 20th c. from the art market. If you’re worried about authenticity and looting, you know what that means….
- Visitors: The Guimet is filled with book club ladies. The Cernuschi seems to have a total of three visitors at any one time, at least one of which got lost on the way to the Louvre.
- Money: The Guimet has an admission charge, while the permanent collections of the Cernuschi are free, free, free!
And the winner is… wait, I still don’t know. Make up your own damn mind. Unless youre a cheapskate who only wants to see a little bit of Asian art before jogging in the Parc Morceau, in which case the Cernuschi is the museum for you.
