Musée d'Orsay

All these adjectives apply to the Musée d'Orsay. It is sumptuous, spacious, modern and old at the same time. One marvels at this creative use of the patrimony of a great sity. The vast space of an unused railway station made into a grand museum of modern art. Nothing crowded, nothing rushed, plenty of air and light. And then! One is surrounded by the breathlessly famous and beautiful masterpieces that have defined what we call modern art today.

One of the world's most-visited museums, the Musee d'Orsay houses the largest collection of painting, sculpture, and decorative objects produced between 1848-1914, showcasing many of the most remarkable works of the early modern era.

The museum is located in the Saint-Germain des Pres neighborhood, between Quai Anatole France and Rue de Lille, and faces the Seine river on the left bank. The museum is also a five minute walk across the river from the Jardin des Tuileries.

L'histoire du musée, de son bâtiment, est peu banale. Situé au coeur de Paris, le long de la Seine, face au jardin des Tuileries, le musée a pris place dans l'ancienne gare d'Orsay, un édifice construit pour l'exposition universelle de 1900. Ainsi le bâtiment est, en quelque sorte, la première "oeuvre" des collections du musée d'Orsay qui présente l'art des quelques décennies qui s'écoulent entre 1848 et 1914.

The Musee d'Orsay is, hands-down, one of the world's richest and most exciting museums. Its permanent collection houses countless great works by masters of early modern art, including Matisse, Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, and Rodin. The Musee d'Orsay also curates several major temporary exhibits throughout the year, as well as hosting not-to-be-missed special events. All of these reasons account for why the Musee d'Orsay is a Paris must-see attraction.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Bal au moulin de la Galette, Impressionism, 1876, Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France.

Walk over the bridge from the Louvre to the Musée d'Orsay-- and see the bridge between classical and modern art. Housing the world's most important collection of impressionist and post-impressionist painting, the Musée d'Orsay's light, airy rooms whir you through three floors of modern wonders, from Degas' ethereal dancers to Monet's water lilies, all the way to Gaugin's leafy jungles. Major works by Van Gogh, Delacroix, Manet, and others await you, too.