Musée d'Orsay
The Musée d'Orsay is a museum in Paris, situated on the left bank of the River Seine. It holds mainly French art from 1848 to 1914: paintings, sculptures, furniture, objets d'art and photography.
Inside the main hall
The building was originally a railway station, built in 1900 by Victor Laloux, and served as a terminus for the Paris-Orléans railway. It was known as Gare d'Orsay. It closed in 1939, was classed as a historical monument in 1978, and re-opened as a museum in December 1986, bringing together collections from the Louvre, the Musée du Jeu de Paume and the Musée National d'Art Moderne at the Centre Georges Pompidou.
Artists whose works are on display on the Musee d'Orsay include:
- Antonio de La Gandara
- Edouard Manet
- Jean-François Millet
- Claude Monet
- Pierre-Auguste Renoir
- James McNeill Whistler
Access
Public transport: Metro Solferino, RER Musée d'Orsay
Note that in common with many French museums, it is closed on Mondays.
External link
- Official site:
http://www.musee-orsay.fr/ - Musée d'Orsay virtual visit:
http://www.insecula.com/musee/M0048.html - Musée d'Orsay French Paintings:
http://www.insecula.com/salle/theme_40002_M0048.html - Musée d'Orsay French Sculptures:
http://www.insecula.com/salle/theme_40001_M0048.html
Note that Insecula is currently the most comprehensive source for images of the Orsay and its contents, offering far more views than the official site. There is a huge clock which still works in the main terminal of the museum.