Moïse de Camondo
Moïse de Camondo | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age Ottoman Empire |
| Died | November 14, 1935 (aged 75) |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, art collector |
| Known for | Founder of Musée Nissim de Camondo |
Count Moïse de Camondo (15 March 1860 – 14 November 1935) was a French banker and art collector originally from the Ottoman Empire, belonging to the distinguished Camondo family.
Biography
Around 1869, Camondo relocated with his family from Constantinople, Ottoman Empire, to Paris, where he upheld the banking tradition established by his father, Nissim de Camondo (1830–1889). The family, of Sephardic Jewish descent, had been proprietors of one of the Ottoman Empire’s leading banks and expanded their business activities into France beginning that year.
Starting in 1911, he undertook the reconstruction of the family residence near Parc Monceau in Paris to properly exhibit his collection of 18th-century French furniture and artworks. Working with architect René Sergent, the mansion was tailored to accommodate the breadth of his acquisitions, featuring an entrance hall inspired by the Petit Trianon at Versailles. The house included a kosher kitchen with distinct sections for meat and dairy, as well as a dining area equipped with a green marble fountain designed for ritual handwashing.
Among the highlights of his collection were a French silver service originally commissioned by Russian Empress Catherine the Great, Buffon porcelain from Sèvres, and an exclusive complete set of royal Gobelin tapestry sketches. His procurement choices were influenced by experts from the Louvre and the Union Central des Arts Décoratifs.
In 1891, he wed Irène Cahen d'Anvers (1872–1963), daughter of Louis Cahen d'Anvers. Their marriage ended following her infidelity, leading to separation in 1897 and divorce finalized in 1902; their children, Nissim and Béatrice, remained under Camondo's care. The mansion was completed in 1914; however, Nissim soon enlisted in the French Army during World War I and died in combat in 1917. After his son’s passing, Camondo withdrew from banking to dedicate himself to his art collection and hosting refined dinners.
Upon his death in 1935, Camondo bequeathed the mansion to Paris’s Decorative Arts society, establishing it as the Musée Nissim de Camondo in tribute to his son. The museum maintains both the art collection and the home's original architectural details.
During World War II, Béatrice, along with her former husband Léon Reinach and their children, were victims of Auschwitz. Irène survived by concealing her identity under an Italian alias in Paris but eventually depleted the family wealth she inherited as Béatrice’s sole heir.
Further reading
- James McAuley, The House of Fragile Things – Jewish Art Collectors and the Fall of France, 320 pages, Paperback, ISBN 978-0-300-26469-2, Published 8 Mar 2022.
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Age error
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1860 births
- 1935 deaths
- 19th-century French Sephardi Jews
- Sephardi Jews from the Ottoman Empire
- French bankers
- French art collectors
- Jewish art collectors
- Art collectors from Paris
- Museum founders
- Italian Levantines
- House of Camondo
- Burials at Montmartre Cemetery
- Emigrants from the Ottoman Empire to France