Musée d’Orsay

This post is going to be a lot shorter than most because I can follow the rules in a museum. You know- rules like no smoking, no eating, or no touching the objects in the galleries (and no licking, you really can’t do that to historic objects). Musée d’Orsay has another rule- no photography of any kind. So I don’t have any pics to share with you inside this beautiful museum, which has been converted from a train station but has retained most of its architectural details. See the outside for yourself...

Musée d’Orsay houses works from the 19^th and early 20^th century. It contains a lot of very famous and important works of art, particularly for Impressionist painters. A visit to many of the galleries is like walking through an art history textbook. Paintings like this...

http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/collections/works-in-focus/painting/commentaire_id/portrait-of-the-artists-mother-2976.html?tx_commentaire_pi1%5BpidLi%5D=509&tx_commentaire_pi1%5Bfrom%5D=841&cHash=237ef8c554

Or this crazy famous piece that turned the art world on its head when it was first exhibited...

http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/collections/works-in-focus/search/commentaire_id/luncheon-on-the-grass-7201.html?no_cache=1&tx_commentaire_pi1%5Bsword%5D=manet&tx_commentaire_pi1%5BpidLi%5D=509%2C842%2C846%2C847%2C848%2C850&tx_commentaire_pi1%5Bfrom%5D=851&cHash=aa98c55e7b

And this sculpture too...

http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/collections/works-in-focus/search/commentaire_id/small-dancer-aged-14-2202.html?no_cache=1&tx_commentaire_pi1%5Bsword%5D=degas&tx_commentaire_pi1%5BpidLi%5D=509%2C842%2C846%2C847%2C848%2C850&tx_commentaire_pi1%5Bfrom%5D=851&cHash=8e36641d95

I also found some pieces that I had never seen before that blew me away. This is one example...

http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/collections/works-in-focus/painting/commentaire_id/severine-2975.html?tx_commentaire_pi1%5BpidLi%5D=509&tx_commentaire_pi1%5Bfrom%5D=841&cHash=b4bb31ee0f

Also breathtaking is the view from the 5^th floor, which looks out on the Seine...

 

 

So, generally a day full of pretty. I also bought a book on a textile show written in French. I’m pretty sure that decision is going to haunt me for years to come every time I try to read it. Oh well.