{"id":24585,"date":"2024-08-01T14:44:16","date_gmt":"2024-08-01T14:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/?p=24585"},"modified":"2024-08-01T14:44:16","modified_gmt":"2024-08-01T14:44:16","slug":"4-reasons-the-orsay-museum-is-a-favorite-among-parisians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/4-reasons-the-orsay-museum-is-a-favorite-among-parisians\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Reasons the Orsay Museum is a Favorite Among Parisians"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ask a local what their favorite museum in the city is, and they probably won\u2019t say the Louvre<\/a>. Don\u2019t be surprised if instead they confess it\u2019s the Orsay Museum, the smaller, chic museum on the left bank of the Seine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, you\u2019ll find a nice collection of art from 1848 to 1914. At the same time, you\u2019ll avoid crowds flocking to the Louvre for a glimpse of the Mona Lisa. It\u2019s still popular, though. The museum still welcomes more than 3 million visitors every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mus\u00e9e d’Orsay is in the 7th arrondissement, right in the heart of the city, and it happens to be first in the hearts of many Parisians. Here are four reasons why along with a few tips for your visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. The architecture at the Orsay Museum is just part of the art.<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Musee<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

A quick glimpse around the premises, and you\u2019ll realize this isn\u2019t your average museum. More often than not, Parisian museums are housed in ancient palaces or former estates. The Orsay Museum is in an old train station. But not just any train station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Orsay station dates back to the Universal Exhibition of 1900, when it was built for the world fair. In 1979, a project conceived by a group of three architects was chosen to convert the station into a place of art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walking inside the museum, you’ll notice it really still looks like an old station, from the arched bays to the giant clock window on the fifth floor, a favorite spot to take photos at the museum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. The Orsay\u2019s sculptures are splendid.<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Sculpture<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Once you step inside, past the boutique and the welcome desk, you\u2019ll be in the hall of sculptures. There, you\u2019ll find dozens of 19th-century works, quite a few of them from the French artist Jean Baptiste Carpeaux.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My personal favorite in this section is Carpeaux\u2019s plaster sculpture from 1872, \u201cLes Quatre Parties du monde soutenant la sph\u00e8re celeste.\u201d In English, that\u2019s \u201cThe Four Parts of the World Holding the Celestial Sphere.\u201d And that\u2019s what it shows. The figures holding up the sphere represent the four corners of the world: Europe, Asia, Africa and America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. If you\u2019re looking for classic French Impressionism, the Mus\u00e9e d’Orsay is where it\u2019s at.<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Monet
\u201cPoppies\u201d by Claude Monet, featured at the Orsay Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The fifth floor is dedicated to Impressionist artists. If you enjoy Impressionist paintings, you\u2019ll find all the big names there: C\u00e9zanne, Degas, Manet, Monet, Pissarro, Renoir and more. For one of \u00c9douard Manet\u2019s famous works, \u201cLuncheon on the Grass,\u201d check out Room 29, which will be marked as \u201cSalle 29.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But you\u2019ll find me in Room 34 with the Monet fans. Salle 34 holds a few of Monet\u2019s water lily paintings, all breathtaking. However, the most famous renditions of his water lilies are at the Orangerie Museum (more on where to find this below).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fifth floor also includes a variety of post-Impressionist artists like Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin. Be sure to stop by the Galerie Bellechasse on the fifth floor for a collection of Van Gogh works, including his self-portrait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. The Orsay Museum celebrates cinema, too.<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Charlie<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Not all art museums feature cinema, but the curators at Orsay see movie making as a \u201csixth art.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The museum includes a fascinating collection of more than a dozen films and clips from the early stages of cinema, starting in the late 19th century. You\u2019ll find at least one familiar face among the black-and-white films showcased: Charlie Chaplin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Things to Do Near the Orsay Museum<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Les<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Once you leave the Orsay Museum, you\u2019re a short walk away from the Tuileries Garden<\/a>, an ideal spot for an afternoon picnic. Between the beautiful floral arrangement, open space, and French garden style, I think the Tuileries is the best garden in Paris, even if some people disagree<\/a>. It\u2019s certainly my favorite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tucked away inside the Jardin des Tuileries is the Orangerie Museum \u2014 a sort of mini-museum showcasing Monet and other Impressionist artists. Stop by the Mus\u00e9e de l’Orangerie after your Orsay visit for a full day of Impressionist splendor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re willing to walk a little further after your museum trip, visit the elegant Saint-Germain-des-Pr\u00e9s district. Walk for 15 minutes, and you\u2019ll reach two of the area\u2019s renowned caf\u00e9s: Les Deux Magots and Caf\u00e9 de Flore, right by the Saint-Germain-des-Pr\u00e9s Metro station. Both have a storied history<\/a> and are known to attract celebrity clientele who visit Paris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Les Deux Magots was once a haven for creatives, with regulars like Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso. For more modern stars, Caf\u00e9 de Flore has been known to host American film stars like Sharon Stone and Robert De Niro. Both caf\u00e9s offer simple, traditional Parisian brasserie food. But given their reputation, you\u2019re going to have to pay a bit more than at your average caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answers to Your Travel Questions About the Orsay Museum<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Orsay<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Is the Orsay Museum free?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

No, the full ticket price is \u20ac14, but you can learn more about ticketing information on their website<\/a>. But if you want to admire the outside of the Mus\u00e9e d’Orsay for free, there are a handful of impressive animal sculptures on the parvis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is famous in the Mus\u00e9e d\u2019Orsay?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Impressionist and post-Impressionist art attracts the largest crowd. Along with the paintings mentioned above, notable works include Manet\u2019s \u201cOlympia\u201d \u2014 which caused a scandal for nudity back in the 19th century \u2014 and one of van Gogh\u2019s \u201cStarry Night\u201d paintings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is the Mus\u00e9e d’Orsay worth seeing?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s worth a visit, if only to gain a little street cred from the locals. Remember \u2014 it\u2019s the favorite museum for a lot of Parisians. And if you enjoy Impressionist art, it\u2019s definitely a must-see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if you\u2019re a casual art lover and forced to choose among the many Paris museums, you’ll see a more extensive collection on a tour of the Louvre<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How long do you need at the Mus\u00e9e d\u2019Orsay?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The museum is broken up into three main levels of art, with most of the well-known Impressionist works on the fifth floor. Two hours is a good amount of time to take in the art on every level of the museum, but if you\u2019re a real enthusiast you could definitely stay longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Orsay Museum in Paris: A Favorite for Travelers, Too<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Rhino
Rhino sculpture outside the Muse\u0301e d’Orsay \u2014 art you can see for free!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Once you go to the Orsay, you\u2019ll understand why Parisians love it so much. You\u2019ll also understand what locals mean when they say \u201cmeet by the rhinoceros statue.\u201d There\u2019s a collection of animal sculptures outside of the Orsay Museum, and that one tends to be a gathering point for groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes,\u00a0the Muse\u0301e d’Orsay is smaller than the Louvre and no, you can\u2019t find the Mona Lisa and her bewitching smile there. But you will discover an exquisitely curated collection of art in a century-old train station. It\u2019s cool and a little quirky yet with a refined and sophisticated presentation \u2014 exactly what Parisians prefer. Many Paris tours<\/a> include this gem in their itineraries, allowing visitors to experience the museum’s unique charm and impressive collection of Impressionist masterpieces.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ask a local what their favorite museum in the city is, and they probably won\u2019t say the Louvre. Don\u2019t be surprised if instead they confess it\u2019s the Orsay Museum, the smaller, chic museum on the left bank of the Seine. Here, you\u2019ll find a nice collection of art from 1848 to 1914. At the same<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":24586,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24585"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24585"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24585\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36000,"href":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24585\/revisions\/36000"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24585"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24585"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}