So excited to talk about my favorite museum that I have visited thus far, Musée d’Orsay. It is perfect for a rainy afternoon, like the day I visited.
The collection, which spans 1848 to 1915, is housed in a refurbished Beaux-Arts train station. It sits on the left bank of the Seine.
The busiest days to visit are during tourist season (June-September), the quieter times are December & January. If you are planning on visiting the Musée Rodin or the Musée de l’Orangerie you can purchase “passport tickets” for a better rate. Be sure to check to check the hours of operation, they’re often closed on Mondays.
3 floors house the largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist in the world. You can see all the greats: Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Gaughin, & Van Gough to name a few.
Explore the floorplan here …
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There are ~3000 works of painting and sculpture exhibited at one time. I’m confident you can breeze through most of them, but I’d like to note one of my favorites.
Olympia – Edouard Manet
Painted in 1863 by Édouard Manet, it was first exhibited at the 1865 Paris Salon. Many consider it to be the Impressionist point of departure. Why? Olympia’s confrontational gaze caused shock and astonishment because a number of details in the scene identified her as a prostitute to contemporary audiences. Details such as the symbols of wealth & sensuality (the orchid in her hair, jewelry, and the oriental shawl) and the bouquet brought in by a servant (probably from a ‘client’). Even her name was commonly associated with prostitutes. In stark contrast to the traditional female nude, featuring a passive and inviting subject, Olympia blocks the male gaze or perhaps just until payment has been disclosed. I encourage you to read the numerous, better critiques available. The model for this painting, Victorine Meurent (a painter in her own right), can been seen in another work at the d’Orsay – Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe. At Cal I took an Art History course, this was one of my favorite paintings to study.
I encourage you to explore the train station and savor each piece of art.
The d’Orsay is still one of Europe’s largest museums, but exploring the train station passes so quickly every time for me.
Just grab a map & start wandering
