Le Petit Palais is listed on the guided tour since this building played a large part in the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1900. Constructed just in time for the opening of the grand exhibition, Le Petit Palais is located on Winston Churchill Avenue, situated right next to it's larger sibling, Le Grand Palais. Director of Le Petit Palais since 2012, Christopher Leribault states that this smaller palace served to showcase the best French art and its progression up until the 19th century during the Exposition.[1] Architect Charles Girault oversaw the construction of Le Grand Palais, yet considered the smaller palace his own personal project.[2] Girault in designing Le Petit Palais achieved a balance of modern yet traditional architecture, building it in a trapeze shape surrounding an interior garden.[3] Many view this domed structure as progressive since Girault used building materials such as cast iron, glass for the roof and large windows, and concrete.[4]

This building served alongside Le Grand Palais to showcase the finest collection of art during the Paris Exposition in 1900, and in 1902 became the Fine Arts Palace of Paris, now known today as the Musées des Beaux-Arts de la Ville.[5] This small palace is worth noting because it was always intended to be a permanent fixture following the Exhibition, and it is a symbol of the turn of a century where modernity and traditionalism intersected, implied in the architecture of the Palais. The Palais offered visitors of various social ranks to view classic pieces of paintings, furniture, and other objects, and in doing so, made art more accessible to the lower classes especially.

[1] "Capital Chic: Apollo Talks to Christophe Leribault, Director of the Petit Palais, on the Eve of the Opening of 'Paris 1900.'" Apollo, no. 619 (2014): 26.

[2] Beth Cohen. "Antiquities Belonging to the City of Paris." American Journal of Archaeology 112, no. 4 (2008): 755.

[3] "Building History." Petit Palais. April 07, 2016. Accessed February 23, 2019. http://www.petitpalais.paris.fr/en/the-petit-palai....

[4] Beth Cohen. "Antiquities Belonging to the City of Paris." American Journal of Archaeology 112, no. 4 (2008): 755.

[5] Ibid., 755.

Le Petit Palais is chosen for this guided tour because of its involvement in the Paris Exposition in 1900 and the role it played at the time and even today. Le Grand Palais and Le Petit Palais replaced the Palais de l'Industrie which served as one of the most important buildings during the 1855 Exhibition and was demolished in order to fit the two large art halls in.[1] This smaller palace is now a permanent fixture in Paris, one of the few buildings from the Exposition Universelle left, notably enhancing the city.

Le Petit Palais is crucial to this walking tour because it is a place that brought people regardless of social classes together to view classical artwork and furniture, offering an afternoon of entertainment. The small palace served to showcase more modern and classic French artwork, implying its superiority through several pieces on display. Author A.H. Mattox upon writing about the opening of the Exposition declared that "these new palaces of fine arts will be two of the most modern and useful buildings of their kind in existence."[2] He continued to argue that this grand display of art "will probably surpass anything the world has ever seen." Some of the items on display located in the galleries were objects belonging to Louis XIV, a jewel cabinet Marie Antoinette had, and several books various notable people had possessed.

Many viewed this smaller palace as more successful than its larger sibling in its design and the fact that it was one of the few buildings in 1900 during the Exposition that possessed a modern character.[5] This art exhibition turned museum was impressive to the visitors's eye with 50 million people coming in 1900 alone to see the pinnacle of Parisian artwork, and during this Exposition "Paris was the world's capital of art and pleasure."[5] Le Petit Palais played a key role in showcasing French artwork to the masses and implying their superiority in doing so.

[1] A.H. Mattox. "Paris Exposition of 1900." Scientific American 80, no. 11 (1899): 170.

[2] Ibid., 170.

[3] Ibid.

[4] "Paris Exposition-Interior of the Petit Palais." Scientific American 83, no. 9 (1900): 137.

[5] W. Fred. "Architecture and Exterior Decoration at the Paris Exhibition, 1900." The Artist: An Illustrated Monthly Record of Arts, Crafts and Industries (American Edition) 28, no. 247 (1900): 137.

[6] "Capital Chic: Apollo Talks to Christophe Leribault, Director of the Petit Palais, on the Eve of the Opening of 'Paris 1900.'" Apollo, no. 619 (2014): 26.

"Building History." Petit Palais. April 07, 2016. Accessed February 23, 2019 http://www.petitpalais.paris.fr/en/the-petit-palais/building-history..

"Capital Chic: Apollo Talks to Christophe Leribault, Director of the Petit Palais, on the Eve of the Opening of 'Paris 1900.'" Apollo, no. 619 (2014): 25. https://proxy.library.brocku.ca/ login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsgao&AN=edsgcl.367074823&site=eds-live&scope=site..

Cohen, Beth. "Antiquities Belonging to the City of Paris." American Journal of Archaeology 112, no. 4 (2008): 755-62. http://www.jstor.org.proxy.library.brocku.ca/stable/20627518.

Mattox, A. H. "Paris Exposition of 1900." Scientific American 80, no. 11 (1899): 170-71. http://www.jstor.org.proxy.library.brocku.ca/stable/26126260.

"Paris Exposition-Interior of the Petit Palais." Scientific American 83, no. 9 (1900): 137. http://www.jstor.org.proxy.library.brocku.ca/stable/24983810.

W. Fred. "Architecture and Exterior Decoration at the Paris Exhibition, 1900." The Artist: An Illustrated Monthly Record of Arts, Crafts and Industries (American Edition) 28, no. 247 (1900): 132. doi:10.2307/25581554.