I’ve always liked impressionism. Its colorful and full of movement and the Musee D’Orsay is one of the best places to see these amazing works in person. It was so exciting to see so many pieces that I had been looking at in textbooks and postcards up close and in person. As fascinated as I was with these classic pieces, I was equally fascinated by the works of arts that I had never seen. There was so much art in this museum that I had no idea existed. For example, a whole wall of horse paintings by Degas, or a massive realistic still-life by Monet.
One of the paintings by Degas
A still life by Monet
Similarly, I was surprised by the variety of styles originating from the same general era. Even as someone who enjoys and visits a lot of art museums, the Musee D’Orsay and Orangerie had some of the most interesting works I had ever seen. Every turn had something unexpected. Among the museums’ thousands on thousands of works, there was a meta sculpture of a contemporary sculptor carving classical subject matter, there was a huge gothic black cabinet holding delicate housewares, there was a painting of a giant destroying a town next to a room featuring a painting of a Plato/Jesus speaking in a garden. I was constantly impressed by the number of truly unique works I saw, so here are a couple of my favorites:
“Portrait D’Homme” Chaim Soutine (L’Orangerie)
“Evening” James Tissot (Musee D’Orsay)
“Femmes au Chien” Marie Laurencin (L’Orangerie)
“Grosse Mer a Etretat” Claude Monet (Musee D’Orsay)
Also, I think it’s time to bring marble statues back into vogue.
So glad that I have you to be my art museum buddy! It’s interesting which pieces you chose as your favorite, since I passed right by most of these. It really proves how unique everyone’s perception is of art.