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Origin and history

The pavilion of Sweden and Norway was designed by Norwegian architect Henrik Thrap-Meyer for the Universal Exhibition of 1878 in Paris. This building, divided into two parts (Sweden on the left, Norway on the right), was then offered to Consuelo Fould, the adopted daughter of Prince George Stirbey, who joined his property in Courbevoie around 1890. An artist's workshop, added by the architect Pasquier, completed the ensemble, transformed into a residence and place of creation for Consuelo, herself painter and pupil of Ferdinand Roybet.

When he died in 1927, Consuelo Fould bequeathed the property to the city of Courbevoie, provided that there was a museum named after his mentor, Ferdinand Roybet. The pavilion, joined to the future Roybet-Fould Museum (opened in 1951), now houses 19th-century art collections, including works by Roybet, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, or Albert Gleizes, as well as remains of the Tuileries burned in 1871. The site also includes the Indian Pavilion, another relic of the 1878 Exhibition.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1987 for its façade and structure (Cadastre B 3), the pavilion illustrates the heritage of universal exhibitions and the local artistic patronage. Its eclectic architecture, combining Scandinavian influences and fine-XIXe style, makes it a rare testimony of this time. The adjacent museum also preserves archives of local history, such as memories related to the return of Napoleon I's ashes or old postcards.

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