In 1872, the young Lucien Kraemer left Alsace after the Prussian invasion, and chose to remain French. He then followed his cousin Eugène Kraemer, Charles Stein’s son-in-law, who worked as an antique dealer and art advisor for the Rothschild family in France.
It was first located rue de Penthièvre. In 1880, the Gallery moved to the house on the corner between Place de la Madeleine and rue Tronchet.
In Paris, the Kraemer name quickly became prestigious: the Gallery developed a close relationship with the most famous collectors in Europe.
This prestigious building is located a few feet away from the Camondo family’s townhouse.
They were the Kraemers’ clients and close friends. Their townhouse had not yet been turned into the Nissim de Camondo Museum.
During the interwar period, under Raymond’s expert eye, the Gallery became a true institution in the realm of antique art, until World War II started.
After the war, Raymond and his young son Philippe decided to forge ahead and resumed work at the Gallery in 1945. Little by little, they rebuilt the Gallery together, and promised that:
« Even if each room contains no more than one or two furniture pieces, they will all be outstanding ».
Raymond Kraemer
After two decades, the Gallery became popular again on the 18th-century art and furniture market – by then, their collection had likely become one of the largest ones of museum quality pieces in the world.
Circa 1970, Philippe’s sons, Olivier and Laurent, joined the Gallery. They stayed true to its very high standards and helped expand the Gallery.
Sandra (Laurent’s daughter), Mikael and Alain (Olivier’s sons) are committed to taking the Gallery down the path towards modernity.
The townhouse now features modern and contemporary works of art that sit next to the antique furniture.
The salons, that are located at 43 rue de Monceau, host creative exhibitions in collaboration with the most prominent specialists in contemporary art.
The newest Kraemer generation is making this concept alive in museums and in public spaces in France and abroad, especially in Asia and in the United States, thanks to loans and exhibitions.
