Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume, Art museum in Tuileries Garden, France
The Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume is an art museum housed in a Second Empire style building at the northwest corner of the Tuileries Garden in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. The 19th-century structure now contains exhibition spaces across multiple levels with high ceilings and large windows for natural light.
The building was constructed in 1861 under Napoleon III. as a venue for a traditional ball game. After World War II the structure was converted into an exhibition space for impressionist works until these were later transferred to the Musée d'Orsay.
The name of the museum refers to a ball game played with the flat hand that once took place here and later evolved into tennis. The rooms now host rotating exhibitions featuring contemporary photographs and video works by international artists.
The museum opens Tuesday through Sunday starting at 11 in the morning and stays open until 9 in the evening on Tuesdays. The spaces are accessible at ground level or via elevators and offer full wheelchair access.
During the German occupation between 1940 and 1944 the building served as a warehouse for artworks and cultural property looted from Jewish families. The objects were sorted there and prepared for transport to Germany.
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