Library and collections
L'Ecole des Beaux-arts preserves extensive collections of books and
works of art. Started by the Royal Academies during the 17th century as
teaching and research collections, they have since been supplemented by student
competitions and important donations and legacies of books, drawings,
engravings and various other documents. Among the student work preserved in the
library are winning pieces from the Prix de Rome Contests in
painting, sculpture, engraving, and architecture.
The library and collections together possess 120,000 books from the 16th to the
20th century, 800 periodicals, 100,000 engravings, 70,000 historic photographs,
13,000 drawings, 25,000 architectural drawings, 1,500 paintings, and 1,500
sculptures and medals.The collections were moved to their present location in
the Palais des Etudes in 1864. Adorned with historic paintings from the
Acadèmie and busts of past Ecole des Beaux-Arts instructors, the ancient
library was restored in 1975 to its former grandeur. Today, students and
researchers can visit the library and study works which date from the 15th to
the 19th centuries.
Hours
Mondays to Fridays, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Address
Palais des Etudes, main floor, left-hand staircase
14, rue Bonaparte
F-75272 Paris Cedex 06, FRANCE
Mètro: Saint-Germain-des-Près
Contact
Chief curator: Annie Jacques
Telephone: 33 (1) 47 03 50 82
