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Musée_d'Orsay.png
Exterior view in the afternoon
Inside the main hall
The Musée d'Orsay is a museum in Paris, situated on the left bank of the River Seine. It holds mainly French art from 1848 to 1914: paintings, sculptures, furniture, objets d'art and photography.
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History
The building was originally a railway station and associated hotel, built in 1900 by Victor Laloux, and served as a terminus for the Paris-Orléans railway. It was known as Gare d'Orsay. The station closed to long-distance traffic in 1939, though some suburban trains continued to use it, and the hotel closed at the beginning of 1973.
The former station was used as a collection point for the dispatch of parcels to prisoners of war during the Second World War, and after the end of the war as a reception centre for liberated prisoners on their return; a plaque on the side of the building facing the River Seine commemorates this latter use. It served as the setting for several films, including Orson Welles' version of Franz Kafka's The Trial. It was at the Gare d'Orsay that General Charles de Gaulle held the press conference at which he announced his "availability to serve his country" (effectively placing himself at the head of a coup d'état) on 19 May 1958, ushering in the end of the French Fourth Republic.
The building was listed as a historical monument in 1978, and re-opened as a museum in December 1986. The chief architect was the Italian Gae Aulenti. There is a huge clock which still works in the main terminal of the museum.
Collections
Artists whose works are on display on the Musée d'Orsay include:
- Paul Cézanne
- Gustave Courbet
- Antonio de La Gandara
- Edgar Degas
- James McNeill Whistler
- Édouard Manet
- Jean-François Millet
- Claude Monet
- Pierre-Auguste Renoir
- Auguste Rodin
- Georges Seurat
- Vincent Van Gogh
Access
Public transport: Metro Solférino, RER Musée d'Orsay (Paris Metro).
Note that as with many French museums, the Musée d'Orsay is closed on Mondays.
External links
- Official site (http://www.musee-orsay.fr/)
- Insecula: Musée d'Orsay virtual visit (http://www.insecula.com/musee/M0048.html)
- Insecula: Musée d'Orsay French Paintings (http://www.insecula.com/salle/theme_40002_M0048.html)
- Insecula: Musée d'Orsay French Sculptures (http://www.insecula.com/salle/theme_40001_M0048.html)
Note that Insecula is currently the most comprehensive source for images of the Orsay Museum and its contents, offering far more views than the official site.de:Musée d'Orsay es:Museo de Orsay fr:Musée d'Orsay it:Musée d'Orsay di Parigi nl:Musée d'Orsay id:Musée d'Orsay ja:オルセー美術館 fi:Musée d'Orsay sv:Musée d'Orsay zh:奥尔赛博物馆