Musee d'Orsay Impressions

Musee d'Orsay sits on the left bank of the River Seine in a building that was the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898-1900. It was a terminus for railways of southern France till 1939 and was going to be demolished for a new hotel in 1970. Luckily this beautiful building was saved by Duhamel, the then Minister of Cultural Affairs and in 1986 it was established as a Museum.

Main hall of the Musee d'Orsay (CNB 2014)

At Cafe Campana

Dedicated to mainly French art of 1848 to 1915, there are paintings, sculptures, furniture and photography. It has the largest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world. Here we feasted our eyes on the works of Manet, Monet, Degas, Renoir, Cezanne, Seurat, Sisley, Gaugin, Van Gogh, etc. There are more than 80 each of works by Monet and Renoir (my favourites) and we spent the whole day there, even having lunch in the museum's Cafe Campana. This cafe was 'imagined by the two Brazilian designers Fernando and Humbert Campana in homage to Emile Galle and Art Nouveau'.

We also checked out the Gustave Dore special exhibition which was on then. The French Romantic illustrator lived between 1832-1883 and his talent was obvious from the age of only 15 when his first illustrated story was published.

Outside the Orsay Museum building, there are life size sculptures of animals including an elephant, a rhino and a horse. The square next to the Museum displays six bronze allegorical sculptural groups in a row, originally produced for the Exposition Universelle of 1878. The groups represent Asia, Europe, Oceania, North America, South America and Africa. 
(pic)
Musee d'Orsay add: 1 Rue de la Legion d'Honneur, 7th arrondissement
Ref: Orsay Museum Visitor Guide 2012. Ex Libris CNB 2024