In Paris, Musee d'Orsay is a well-liked location for communal art spaces that mostly exhibit French art and is situated on the banks of the Seine river. However, it was first built as a railroad station and later became a museum.
This exhibition space, which features works by impressionist and postimpressionist artists, draws tourists and art enthusiasts from across the globe. Gae Aulenti first conceived of the Musee d'Orsay's design in 1980, and it took more than seven years to build the building.
The subtleties of color, light reflections, and three-dimensionality of brushstrokes on canvas that you'll see in person cannot be accurately captured by a photograph. As seen by the crowds of admirers gathered around the pictures, these paintings have earned the Orsay its notoriety. Head immediately to the galleries on the museum's fifth floor to see the captivating interaction of hues, light, and forms on works of art by Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painters. There, you'll find room after room of breathtaking treasures.
The Orsay has excellent illumination, and the museum allows you to approach these masterpieces up close without running the danger of embarrassingly activating the alarm system.
Prior to its debut in 1986, the Orsay gathered pieces from museums around the nation to build its collection of Art Nouveau decorative arts, and it has subsequently added to its collection with exquisite works by French and worldwide masters of this genre.
The Orsay Museum's Decorative Arts collection is unmatched, even though it is most renowned for its art collections. This is especially true for the Art Nouveau era with its flowing lines and organic shapes inspired by nature.
Like the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, which the French gave to the United States in 1886, Frédéric Bartholdi also designed this one. However, unlike the original, which stood 151 feet (46 meters) tall, this replica stood just under 10 feet (slightly under 3 meters) tall and was built more than ten years after the original.
The Museè D'Orsay boasts a fantastic collection of sculptures, and the sunlight flowing through the glass dome gives these magnificent works of art an ethereal appearance.
Here, you may view works by Carpeaux, including Ugolin and La Dance; Bourdelle's Hercules the Archer; Barye's Napoleon I as the Emperor; and Bugatti's Walking Panther, to mention a few.
The Musée d'Orsay is home to three colossal clocks, including a spectacular gold clock dripping with elaborate decoration outside the building's entrance and two exquisite clocks with glass and steel frames placed into the towers of the former train station that gaze out over the Seine.
Every year, the Orsay Museum puts on several special exhibitions, sometimes delving deeply into the body of work of an artist, as was the case with the famous Van Gogh exhibit recently, sometimes delving into a particular theme and occasionally focusing closely on an intriguing contemporary artist. Along with the usual collections, these special exhibitions are included in your museum admission; as they are nearly always fascinating, make sure to look for them while you're there.
Its Terrasse d'Été, or Summer Terrace, at the Orsay Museum, positioned high above the city with beautiful views of the Seine River, the Louvre, and, in the distance, even Sacre Coeur perched high on its hill in Montmartre, is one of the museum's best-kept secrets. Enjoy the sights and the weather while you unwind!
Duration Required1 rue de la Légion d'honneur, Paris, France
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