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Welcome to the magnificent Petit Palais. The building you are standing next to was created,
like its neighbors the Grand Palai and Pont Alexander III, for the Universal Exposition
of 1900. The planning for the 1900's World Exposition
began quickly after the ending of the 1889 World Exposition in Paris, during which the
Eiffel tower became a huge success. In order to solidify the position of France as the
artistic world leader, something new and spectacular had to be built for the new exposition. After
an architectural competition, the main plan for the world expo was drawn. It included
connecting the Champs-Elysées and the Esplanade des Invalides with a new bridge and two new
structures, one of them being the Petit Palais. The Petit Palais was built to serve as a permanent
gallery of painting and sculpture and to serve as a host for temporary exhibitions. Despite
its inferiority in size compared to the Grand Palais, contemporary critics noted that the
Petit Palais played a role of equal importance, when it came to the overall success of the
Exhibition. Just like the bridge over Seine, Pont Alexander,
and the Grand Palais -- Petit Palais was built in a rush. In 3 years time, the place had
gone from a large construction site to the beautiful building you can see today.
The chief architect of Petit Palais was Charles-Louis Girault. He found his inspiration mainly in
eighteenth century French architecture, although the building itself mixes a lot of different
styles, which is why many define the style as "eclectic". Eclecticism is simply a style
which combines influences from a multitude of other styles. An evidence of this is the
arch entrance and the many pillars, which is inspired by Greek and Roman architecture.
A main feature of the outside of the Petit Palais is its beautiful main gate, also known
as the Golden Gate. If you look closely at the top of the gate, you will see a small
ship sailing on the waves. This ship is actually a part of the Parisian coat of arms and above
the ship you can read the Latin phrase "Fluctuat nec mergitur". This is the city motto, which
refers to its coat of arms, and translates to "it is beaten by the waves without being
sunk". While the outside of Petit Palais is certainly
impressive, many visitors head here to enjoy what's on the inside. One major feature of
the Petit Palais, both during the Exposition and today, is its inner courtyard. The courtyard
houses a smaller garden and its purpose was to provide a peaceful atmosphere away from
the crowded city. The main reason the Petit Palais was built was however not to provide
a garden, but to host a series of French art exhibitions. Another of the palace's main
functions is to serve as the Musée des Beaux-Arts, the Museum of Fine Arts. The museum is home
to an impressive array of artwork spanning several centuries. The museum is divided into
several sections including the Dutuit Collection, consisting of medieval and renaissance paintings
and drawings and a collection of 18th century furniture called the Tuck Collection. Some
people call the Petit Palais "the mini Louvre", but without the crowds.
In early 21st century, the Petit Palais underwent some serious restoration work. After being
closed for more than four years due to the restoration work, the Petit Palais today stands
as shining as ever. A sign of the popularity of the Petit Palais is the fact that it has
served as a model for several other public buildings, such as the Royal Museum for Central
Africa near Brussels and the Museo de Bellas Artes in Santiago.