Hôtel Kinski, Private mansion in 7th arrondissement, France

Hotel Kinski on rue Saint-Dominique is a classical private mansion with high ceilings, ornate parquet floors, and decorative fireplaces in its rooms. The property includes extensive gardens with water features and an artificial grotto alongside the main building near central Paris.

Claude-Nicolas Ledoux built a house here in 1769 for the president of Gourgues, but nothing of it remains. The present building was heavily remodelled; its ground-floor grand salon keeps an 18th-century decor made for Princess Kinský, owner in 1773, including a ceiling painted in 1779 by Simon Julien. In 1801 it was rented for three years to the English writer William Beckford, then belonged to Marshal Lannes.

The name comes from Princess Kinský, owner in 1773, for whom the ground-floor grand salon was decorated; its painted ceiling was made by Simon Julien in 1779. In the 19th century the writer Charles de Pomairols held a literary salon here. The building is now a private residence of the al Thani princely family and is not open to visitors.

The mansion is a private residence of the al Thani family and cannot be visited; only the street facade at 53 rue Saint-Dominique is visible. Look for the wavy black metal canopy over the side entrance and the hoarding marked "Chantier 53 Saint Dominique". The site lies in the 7th arrondissement, near the Musée Rodin and the Invalides.

A ceiling painting from 1779 by artist Simon Julien survives in one of the salons, showing the artistry of the later Enlightenment period. This work stands as one of the few preserved examples of the painted decoration that was typical in such residences.