If you enjoy visiting art museums, Paris really is the place to go to. In the last 20 years or so, Paris museums re-organised their collections and the musée d'Orsay became the receptacle for art dated between 1848 and 1914.
~The Gare d'Orsay~
**********************
The building that ... Read review
Out of the grim realities of Realism and the overblown flights of Romanticism, the ... more
Impressionist movement redefined European art with it's broad tidal waves of light and decor and color and it's vision of Paris in the late nineteenth century.Covering both the history of the Museum itself and the magnificent masterpieces that adorn its walls, this film gives a guided tour through Paris' unique museum and the Impressionist School. From Manet to Renoir, fashion to politics, this program covers the historic rise and the crucial, defining aspects of Impressionism, looking through the frames at the lasting influence of the popular movement.The Impressionists provided their new definition of painting by taking their easel outside the studio and creating works inspired by the broad rainbow of color rather then the particular details of the subject.The site of the Musee D'Orsay is as storied as the famous art housed inside it; originally being used as a train station and subsequently as a popular film set and home of the illustrious Drouot Hotel. Sitting in its stunning location along the River Seine, the Musee D'Orsay has grown into one of the preeminent museums in the artistic heritage of Paris, now exhibiting the world's most comprehensive collection of Impressionist works.
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Advantages: Hundreds of famous works of art. Disadvantages: Sensory overload.
If you enjoy visiting art museums, Paris really is the place to go to. In the last 20 years or so, Paris museums re-organised their collections and the musée d'Orsay became the receptacle for art dated between 1848 and 1914.
~The Gare d'Orsay~
**********************
The building that houses the collection used to be a train station and hotel, which due to its proximity to the Louvre needed to be built sympathetically. ... ...the stone façade hid the metal structure inside. At the time, the painter Edouard Detaille wrote ""The station is superb and looks like a Palais des beaux-arts...". Little did he know that he was writing a prophesy…
After 1939, the progressive electrification of the railroads meant that the platforms were now too short to accommodate the new, longer electric trains, and the station was relegated to serving only the ... more
If you enjoy visiting art museums, Paris really is the place to go to. In the last 20 years or so, Paris museums re-organised their collections and the musée d'Orsay became the receptacle for art dated between 1848 and 1914.
~The Gare d'Orsay~ **********************
The building that houses the collection used to be a train station and hotel, which due to its proximity to the Louvre needed to be built sympathetically. Its inauguration in 1900 revealed a very fine building where the stone façade hid the metal structure inside. At the time, the painter Edouard Detaille wrote ""The station is superb and looks like a Palais des beaux-arts...". Little did he know that he was writing a prophesy…
After 1939, the progressive electrification of the railroads meant that the platforms were now too short to accommodate the new, longer electric trains, and the station was relegated to serving only the suburbs. The years that followed saw a number of uses for the station, from mailing centre for packages sent to prisoners during the second world war, to a film set (Kafka's 'The trial' by Orson Welles was filmed there). In 1978, the building was classified as a historical monument, and in 1986, François Mitterand, the then President of the Republic, inaugurated the new museum.
The work that was undertaken to turn this old railway station into a museum was extremely successful… What a stunning place! The outside is very much the way it must have been originally, but the inside area has been turned into the most fantastic space for displaying art. Despite being shaped like a tunnel, the first thing you notice about the musée d'Orsay is the amount of natural light penetrating the building. 35,000 square metres of glass overhead and at either end allow light to flood the space.
The museum is built over 3 levels. On the ground level, a nave the height of the building houses a number of sculptures. There are a number of rooms to the side of this.
Many features from the original building have been retained, and they are not the least appeal of the museum. I particularly liked the big clock (you can stand behind it and watch Paris through its glass). There are also some wonderful stained-glass windows in one of the restaurants.
These features, being contemporary with the exhibits, serve as a wonderful backdrop.
~The visit~ *************
The museum is open everyday (except Monday) from 9.30 am to 6.00 pm, with a later closing time of 9.45 pm on a Thursday. Entry to the museum costs 7.50 €, with a reduced tariff of 5.50€ for young people from 18 to 25 years old and on Sundays or after 4.15 pm. Entry is free for the under 18. Everyone can also get in free on the first Sunday of every month, although I think it is worth paying the fee rather than facing the crowds that are bound to take advantage of this offer.
The museum building being fairly recent, it is fully accessible to those who have a disability, and guided visits in sign language are available. As always with major museums, try to get there as early as you can. The queues at the museum can be somewhat lengthy, but do not be put off by this, as once the museum opens, they move fairly quickly and efficiently.
The collections in the museum are presented by theme and in chronological order. The musée d'Orsay covers a period going from 1848 to 1914 and all major artistic movements are represented. The collection is divided into 4 categories: painting, sculpture, architecture and decorative arts. The visit starts on the ground floor, then goes on to the top level and finishes on the middle floor. It is a good idea to visit in this order as you are then able to view the works in a more or less chronological order, but on the other hand, the end of the visit is home to some of the most popular exhibits, in particular some impressionist works, and can get very busy indeed by the afternoon.
If you want to do this museum justice, you will need to spend the best part of a day here. There are cafés where you can have a bite to eat, or if you want to do things in style, you could try the 'Restaurant du Musée d'Orsay' which serves unpretentious cuisine in beautiful surroundings, with its impressive frescoes and mouldings.
~The collection~ *******************
This part of the review will have to be at best a brief overview as there are so many great works here, many of them being extremely famous.
>>sculpture<<
Most of these are on the ground floor, where full advantage is taken of the changing light afforded by the glass vault. I have to say sculpture is not one of my favourite media, but there is much here to be admired. Some of the sculptures exhibited were very scandalous when they were first shown to the public, such as the 'woman bitten by a snake', where the snake was only added as an afterthought, to hide the real reason for the woman's languid pose… Look out for Degas' young 14 year-old dancer on the top floor, which questioned accepted ideas of art and was described as ugly at the time.
>>paintings and pastels<<
This represents the bulk of the exhibits and there are some real gems to be admired here. Grouped by aesthetic currents, the visit gives you a real overview of art at the time. There really are too many paintings to mention, but some of my personal favourites included 'The Angelus' by Jean-François Millet, some great Degas, Edouart Manet's 'The balcony', Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette, Montmartre by Renoir, and 'the siesta' and other Van Gogh paintings.
There are also exhibits on architecture and decorative arts and photography, with notably a photograph of Charles Baudelaire dating back to 1855.
~Final thoughts~ *******************
I really enjoyed visiting this museum, but found it a little much to take in over one day. As much as I enjoy art, I find that, after a while, tiredness and sensory overload combine to diminish my enjoyment of the works on offer. This meant that by the time I reached the end (the part I was most interested in), I was not as receptive as I should have been. This is a difficult one to solve, as I felt the order in which the visit was organised was really useful to help understanding how art evolved and the relationship between the different artistic movements. There is only one thing for it, I will have to visit again, this time going straight to my favourites… I definitely recommend visiting the musée d'Orsay if you enjoy art or want to enjoy it.
Advantages: Art, cool design, plenty to look at Disadvantages: Pricey, hard to navigate
The Musee d'Orsay used to be the Gare d'Orsay, it has been converted from an old railway station into an art gallery. The building itself is on Rue Bellechasse and from the outside looks like an old railway station, of course many of the windows are now covered and the entrances closed. Inside is a different story as a mix of ideas and designs have transformed the interior into an interesting place to display art.
You can expect to queue for a good ... ...it. If you are aged 18-25 it costs 33 francs and otherwise it will cost you 45 francs, £4.50, which makes it one of the more expensive attractions on offer. What do you get for your money? Well in this case you get access to some of the most famous art in the world, including paintings by Cezanne, Degas, Van Gogh, Renoir, Monet, Pisarro and Sisley. Entering into the main hall you will find a modern art style redesign of the old main hall of the station, ...
setimerenptah 20.09.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Musee D'Orsay
Advantages: Great art collection, warm admosphere, special cultural services Disadvantages: In summer can be crowd
This was a helpful review of Orsay Museum. Orsay is one of my favorite Museums in Paris. I'll share with you my ideas about Orsay.
Personally I was impressed with:
1) The excellent use of spaces and lighting, you really are comfortable looking to the paintings, sculptures, decorative arts.
2) The architectural solutions, to transform a building with one functionality in another with totally different requirements, are brilliant. The best example ... ...3) The Book Shop has a big collection of exceptional value
4) The cafeteria has very good food with acceptable prices, everything is done to make you comfortable 5) The Cultural Services are exceptional. They were created to relate to the public, to interact with the public, they introduce modern technology and obtain the maximum possible effect. They have audiovisual and data processing films, workshop rooms for young visitors age 5 to 15, conferences, ...
Michisor 14.04.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Musee D'Orsay
Advantages: The best range of fine arts from 1848 to the 1st. World War Disadvantages: So much to see and take in.
...like many French museums the Musee d`Orsay is not open on a Monday. If you want to avoid queues, then visit in winter. We visited in January and waited 10 minutes, or better still buy a museum pass from the Tourist Ofice, some hotels can help here. These passes allow you to jump the queue as you have pre-bought your ticket. Of course you can always get there before 9.30 when they open.
Once inside marvel at the interior. It is an old station but ... ...come to mind. The glass dome in the centre gives the place a wonderful natural light. Plan whether to start at the bottom where the sculptures are and surrounding in rooms and areas are the Pre-Impressionists or go to the top (5th. level) and see the Impressionists, Monet, Manet, Pissaro, Renoir etc. This is my favourite level. They have a wonderful collection of Monet and all his aquaintances and friends. If you only see this area it is worth a ...
romarin 02.02.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Musee D'Orsay
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