Musée d'Orsay, Paris

Pay for the entrance to go inside the museum plus 15euros for a pre fixe lunch inside the musee d' orsay is so worth it! included items are appetizer, main course and dessert plus you get to eat in a big hall with high ceilings and authentic,classy french decor. superb!

This is my favorite museum anywhere, actually. I love all the Impressionism and the Post---
The layout is easily navigated with lots of signage, and the main atrium is amazing! There is a nice Cafe, and the gift shop has lots of goodies for art lovers, and reasonably priced.
I do understand that they are undergoing renovations at this time, so double check before making your reservations.

From 16/03 till 27/06/2010 the exhibition hall of the Musée d'Orsay shows a spectacular special exhibition on the criminal theme in visual arts over the two last centuries.

Striking works from painters like Goya, Géricault, Magritte and Picasso with images of crime or capital punishment. One will find the themes of the gibbet, the garrote, the guillotine and the electric chair.
This exhibition brings together "the aesthetic of violence and the violence of the aesthetic".

Open 16/03 - 27/06/2010 Same days and hours as permanent collection.
Price: 11 € combined ticket permanent collection + special exhibitions

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Musee de Orsay is synonymous to the great Impressionist artists-- Van Gogh, Gaugin, Cezanne, Monet, Manet, Renoir, etc. I recommend you buy tickets online as lines can be very long. Be sure to visit the temporary exhibits. When we went Van Gogh's, Gaugin's, Ensor's works and a few more artist's were on exhibit.

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NEW. TRANSFORMATIONS IN 2010! SEE MY NEW TIP.

At the time of a new visit in July 2008 I had difficulties in finding some of my preferred works. One of the Renoir's “Dances" was no more in the museum. Other works had been moved inside the museum. My references to the rooms where certain works were exposed in 2007 can thus be erroneous.

But the worst awaited me at the ground floor in the rooms devoted to the realistic or naturalists schools. The famous nude “The Origin of the World” by Courbet has disappeared!
First I thought that some bigots or integrists had obliged the Museum to withdraw this audacious nude (see my review of "Scandalous nudes in Orsay").
Information taken at the “Friends of the Museum” showed that this nude of Courbet as well as my loved Renoir's "Dance in the Country" are travelling, initially to New York and now Taipei.

The outside loan of these works yield much money for the Museum but the visitors coming from far away to admire them are dissatisfied by their absence.

In August 2009, I saw that this famous nude was back at Orsay but not the Renoir's "Dance à la Campagne".

Among the “Realistic paintings” of this room 15 I liked works of Alfred Stevens and Carolus-Duran.

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Lors d'une visite récente j'eus quelques difficultés à retrouver certaines de mes oeuvres préférées. Ainsi l'un des deux Renoir "Danse à la Campagne" n'était plus dans le musée. D'autres œuvres avaient été déplacées à l'intérieur même du musée. Mes références aux salles où sont exposées certaines œuvres décrites dans mes tips de 2007 peuvent donc être erronées.

Mais le pire m'attendait au rez-de-chaussée dans les salles consacrées aux écoles réalistes ou naturalistes: le fameux nu "L'origine du monde" par Courbet a disparu!

J'ai d'abord pensé a une menace d'attentat par quelque groupuscule intégriste (ces choses arrivent en Europe) ayant obligé le Musée à retirer ce nu audacieux (voir ma revue des nus à Orsay). Renseignement pris auprès des "Amis du Musée" cette œuvre ainsi que mon Renoir bien aimé sont en voyage, d'abord à New York et maintenant Taipei.
Le prêt de ces œuvres à l'extérieur rapporte beaucoup d'argent au Musée mais leur absence mécontente les visiteurs venus de loin pour les admirer.

En août 2009 j'ai pu constater que le nu "L'origine du monde" de Courbet était de retour.

Parmi les "Réalistes" de cette salle 15 j'ai aimé des œuvres d'Alfred Stevens et de Carolus-Duran.
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Although not as extensive and impressive as the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay is a wondrous museum with a wide display of art. This museum has a large display of impressionist paintings, by famous names such as Monet, Van Gogh, and Degas. Also, there are sculptures, photography, and other art forms on display.

I liked this museum better than the Louvre, though both museums are amazing. Musée d'Orsay is a lot easier to navigate and is usually a lot less crowded. However, you will still have to face the crowds and lines of a Paris attraction! Somehow, my tour group was able to skip waiting in a line, which was nice. Pre-booking tickets for groups is the way to go.

The full cost of the museum is 8 Euros. It is opening every day, except Monday, from 9:30 - 18:00. Thursdays offer later nights, until 21:15. Ways to save money: The first Sunday of the month is free! Also, a discounted ticket price is available for people who show up after 16:15, or 18:00 on Thursdays.

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Musee d'Orsay is one of my favorite museums here in Paris. It is located in the former Gare d'Orsay train station which was designed by Victor Lalous in 1900 for the Universal Exposition. The museum isn't overwhelming as the Louvre and you can easily visit all the major wings of the museum in just one visit.

The museum is devoted to mostly works of art produced between 1848 and 1914. There are many beautiful paintings, sculptures, pastels, furniture and art objects from some of the most famous artists of these times. like Degas, Renoir, Ache, Latour, Daumir, Courbet, Manet, Gauguin, Pissaro, Toulouse-Lautrec, Klimt Corot, Cezzane and Van Gogh.

Check out my travelogue for pics of the works found inside d'Orsay.

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The museum of Orsay presents 200 sculptures of the 19th century in the central aisle, the terraces Lille, Seine and Rodin as well as in room 59.
If you have no time to visit the Rodin museum you will find numerous works of him at the Musée d'Orsay as well as the sculptors Maillol, Bourdelle, Bernard and many others in all styles.
My favourite work is Albert Bartholomé's magnificent bronze statue "crying little girl" (1894).
In room 31, on the upper floor, a wide show case is completely dedicated to Edgar Degas sculptures, mainly ballerina's among which the famous "Petite danseuse de 14 ans" a bronze statue in diverse colourings, with a tutu in tulle and pink ribbon in her hair. The original wax statue was strongly criticized for her hyperrealism at an exhibition in 1881.The bronze statue was made after the death of Edgar Degas.

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Le musée d'Orsay présente près de 200 sculptures du 19e siècle dans l'allée centrale, les terrasses Lille, Seine et Rodin ainsi que dans la salle 59. Si vous n'avez pas le temps de visiter le musée Rodin vous trouverez de nombreuses œuvres à Orsay ainsi que les sculpteurs Maillol, Bourdelle, Bernard et bien d'autres dans tous les styles.
Mon œuvre préférée est une merveilleuse statue en bronze d'Albert Bartholomé "Petite fille pleurant" (1894).
Au niveau supérieur, salle 31, une large vitrine est entièrement consacrée à des œuvres d'Edgar Degas principalement des danseuses dont la fameuse "Petite danseuse de 14 ans" une statue en bronze avec patine aux diverses colorations, avec tutu en tulle et ruban rose dans les cheveux.
A l'époque (1881) cette statue réaliste à l'origine en cire fut fortement critiquée; on lui trouva un visage "marque d'un caractère particulièrement vicieux"!
L'édition en bronze fut faite après la mort de Degas; la statuette du musée d'Orsay est un exemplaire.