Then our art museum afternoon began. Crossing back to the Tuileries, we entered the Musée de l'Orangerie. It is the permanent home for eight huge waterlily paintings by Monet. This is its main draw, but it also has a large collection of impressionist works. It was built to house the orangery of the Tuileries Palace.
In 1922, Claude Monet signed a contract donating his Nymphéas (Waterlilies) paintings to the French Government to be displayed in redesigned, oval rooms at the Orangerie. The entrance to the paintings is a white room, followed by two large rooms with a Waterlilies painting on each wall. There's a seating area in the middle of each room for viewers. No photos are allowed. It was truly a beautiful, calming sight, and definitely worth the visit. I loved finally seeing these huge painting in person. Even Adam appreciated them.
There was also a sizable collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works like Paysage by Gaugin,
and Argenteuil, also by Monet.
Next, we crossed the Seine for the Musée d'Orsay which is located in the former Gare d'Orsay (a train station). This was my second visit to the Orsay, as I went on my own while everyone else was at the Louvre on our family daytrip to Paris. It features art (mostly French) created from 1848 to 1915. This museum is amazing as it has the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world. Works from notable artists include Monet, Renoir, Seurat, Cézanne, Gaugin, Degas and Van Gogh.
On my last visit, photos were allowed, but this time they were not. We were only there for an hour and a half, but saw everything we wanted to see. Even Adam agreed it was cool to see so many famous pieces.
Our feet were getting sore, so we walked across to the Tuileries where we relaxed in chairs along the pathway and enjoyed the views and beautiful landscaping. I also had a crêpe, and Adam a café.
A half hour later, we were ready to continue our art museum tour at the Louvre. The Louvre is open late on Wednesdays and Fridays, so we definitely took advantage of the expanded hours and smaller crowds.
Looking out from inside the big pyramid which serves as the entrance.
The art in the Louvre is extensive (pieces date from pre-historic times through the 18th century), but it isn't my favorite. The Louvre is a former Royal Palace, so one of the most interesting parts to me were the Napoleon Apartments.
Of course we also checked out the Mona Lisa (surrounded by a big crowd and lots of protective glass),
Venus de Milo sculpture,
and the Winged Victory of Samothrace.
I also liked this piece also by Da Vinci, La Belle Ferroniere,
and Vermeer's The Lacemaker.
While the Louvre is HUGE, we had seen enough after an hour and a half. We looked for somewhere to eat, but couldn't find anything, so headed over to the Bateaux Mouches for a boat cruise. We went on the 9 pm cruise. By that time, it was quite chilly out, but the ride along the river at night was lovely.
When our cruise was over, we walked back to the area of our hotel. Adam was hungry, so we finally found a crêpe stand on Rue Cler. My biggest regret was not getting one for myself! Adam said it was delicious.
Then it was back to the room where we crashed. Exhausting day!
Highlights of the day:
Stef - Monet's Waterlilies at the Orangerie- Notre Dame Towers
Adam - Monet's Waterlilies at the Orangerie
- Musée d'Orsay
Can you believe the highlights of Adam's day were art related? I may have converted him!!!
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