Orsay Museum
It was a train station before becoming known worldwide for impressionist art. The Orsay museum was firstly inaugurated by François Mitterand in 1986. From this year forward, the museum has been housing one of the most important impressionist collections in the world.
Musée d’Orsay
WHAT TO SEE?
Interiorly designed by the Italian architect and industrial designer, Gaetana Aulenti, the Orsay museum provides you with some exquisite collections of art.
Once in the museum, you will have the chance to contemplate the most important impressionist artists and their masterpieces: Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, and Van Gogh are just some of them.
You can also appreciate the architecture of the building. As it was a train station in the 1900’s, the Orsay museum allows you to see this previous station, since almost nothing was changed after its closing in 1939.
The Top-10 masterpieces in the museum are:
1. Degas, The Ballet Class (La Classe de danse, 1874)
2. Manet, Luncheon on the Grass (Déjeuner sur l’herbe, 1863)
3. Manet, Olympia (1863)
4. Renoir, Dance at le Moulin de la Galette (Bal du moulin de la Galette, 1876)
5. Courbet, The Origin of the World (L’origine du monde, 1866)
6. Rodin, Fugit Amor (1886)
7. Van Gogh, Starry Night Over the Rhône ( Nuit étoilée sur le Rhône, 1888)
8. Cézanne, The Card Players (Les joueurs de cartes, 1892-1895)
9. Monet, London, Houses of Parliament (Londres, le Parlement, 1904)
10. Monet, Blue Water Lilies (Nymphéas bleus, 1916-1919)
HOW TO EXPERIENCE IT?
Located by the Seine River, the Orsay Museum is waiting for you to offer the best impressionism experience you will ever have. You can prepare your visit to this historic building beforehand by purchasing your tickets in advance. You should visit the museum early in the morning or enter the museum around 2 hours before the closing. A perfect end to the day!
Floor vision map available here
If you are an art lover, you might be interested in taking an audio tour within the museum. The audio tours have an addition cost, but provide you with a lot of information about specific works of art.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION:
- Hours: 9:30am to 6pm. Mondays closed. Open late on Thursday.
- Prices: 12€, free for EU residents under 26. Free under 18.
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