The Musée Cognacq-Jay is a Paris museum located in the famous Le Marais district. Opened in 1929, the museum displays the private collection of 18th century European art bequeathed to the city of Paris by Ernest Cognacq and his wife Louise Jay, founders of the Samaritaine department stores. The site that houses the museum is the Hôtel Donon, a prestigious example of Hotels Particuliers, private residences dating back to French classicism. Inside the museum it is possible to observe an exceptional collection of art and decorative objects: the works on display are in total about 1200, from the refined and precious porcelain of Saxony, to the painting of the Enlightenment era. Among the major works in the museum, those created by names such as Tiepolo, Rembrandt and Canaletto stand out. The Cognac-Jay Museum develops along the five floors of the building and it is also possible to see part of the couple's private apartments, the old kitchens of the building and the attic where the servants lived.