Having introduced you to the finest treasures of the Louvre, it’s time to tackle the majestic Musée d’Orsay. Boasting the world’s largest collection of Impressionist paintings, the cultural venue attracts over 3 million visitors every year. Overlooking the Seine, the former train station is home to hundreds of masterpieces of Western art. Here’s a selection of our favorites.
Lunch on the Grass – Manet
Exhibited at the Salon des Refusés in 1863, the painting caused an aesthetic and moral scandal when it was first presented, due to its break with classicism. Shocking the bourgeois Paris of the late 19th century, the nude is now considered one of the precursors of modern painting.
Self-portrait – Van Gogh
Over the course of his life, Van Gogh portrayed himself in more than thirty self-portraits. The “Saint-Rémy” self-portrait is one of the most famous. He is also one of those hiding his mutilated ear.
Le Bal du moulin de la Galette
After Van Gogh, the Moulin de la Galette was also a source of inspiration for another genius, Renoir. a “precious monument to Parisian life”, the canvas depicts a festive day in Montmartre, and more specifically a “guinguette”, a festive gathering typical of the period.
Starry Night over the Rhône – Van Gogh
Perhaps a little less famous than MoMA’s Starry Night, the painting represents Van Gogh’s interest in nocturnal work. One could almost recognize the port of Arles through this dreamy, richly colored composition.
Les Raboteurs de parquet – Caillebotte
A key figure in the realist movement, the painting is also one of the first to depict urban labor. Initially shunned, the painting found its audience at the Salon des Refusés in 1876. Before finding its final home, the painting also passed through the Jeu de Paume and the Louvre.
The Origin of the World – Courbet
Like Manet, Courbet is one of the “revolutionaries in the representation of the nude”, and L’Origine du Monde is a prime example. From its inception to the present day, it has created a stir in the artistic landscape and is still a source of inspiration for many.
The Church at Auvers-sur-Oise – Van Gogh
The illustrious painter’s last place of residence, Auvers-sur-Oise and its little treasures inspired Van Gogh during the last moments of his life. This led to the creation of a large number of canvases, including one depicting the church in the French Véxin commune. Today, the painting is among the most recognizable of Van Gogh’s oeuvre.
Dante and Virgil – Bouguereau
Taken directly from Dante’s Divine Comedy, the painting depicts an episode from the Inferno, recounting the ferocious battle between Capocchio and Gianni Schicchi. Today, the canvas fascinates as much for its violence as for the beauty of Bouguereau’s brushwork.
Gleaners – Millet
Jean-François Millet’smagnum opus, this work depicts the daily life of the “gleaners”, harvesting the ears of wheat left over from the harvest. In contrast to Les Raboteurs de parquet, the painting focuses on the condition of the rural proletariat.
La Gare Saint-Lazare – Monet
Attracted by progress, Monet presented a series of paintings depicting the Gare Saint-Lazare at the third Impressionist Salon in 1877. Almost 150 years later, these twelve canvases are scattered all over the world, but the Musée d’Orsay certainly holds the most emblematic one.