Musée de la chasse et de la nature, Paris

The Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature is a private museum devoted to hunting, wildlife and the changing relationship between people and the natural world. You are looking at its home in the Hôtel de Guénégaud, a Parisian mansion designed by François Mansart; the museum also extends into the Hôtel de Mongelas. The museum opened in 1967, after being created through the foundation established by François and Jacqueline Sommer, a couple who combined hunting with conservation.

Inside, the collection brings together hunting weapons, trophies, preserved animals and artistic images of wildlife. Its unusual presentation sets historic works beside contemporary art, so a room can feel like a collector’s house, an art museum and a cabinet of curiosities at once. Look for the rooms named for animals, including the Room of the Boar, the Salon of the Dogs and the Cabinet of the Wolf.

In the Salon of the Dogs, historic collars appear with portraits of royal pets and a small Puppy by Jeff Koons. Elsewhere, an alcove devoted to unicorns gathers a curiosity cabinet, video art and sculpture. The museum’s rooms also contain bronze fixtures shaped like vines, antlers and branches, while an owl-feather ceiling forms Jan Fabre’s The Night of Diana.