Musée d’Orsay
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- Musée d’Orsay
Description
On the banks of the Seine, opposite the Tuileries Garden, Orsay is without doubt one of the most beautiful museums in the world – as much for the richness of its collections as the majesty of its architecture. The former railway station, built for the Exposition Universelle of 1900, is a veritable cathedral of the Industrial age, a paean to progress. It also provides a dream setting in which to display the revolutions taking place in Western art in the late 19th century.
Under a massive, light-filled, vaulted nave, the museum presents a matchless multidisciplinary collection across three levels, including, of course, paintings, but also sculpture (Rodin, Bourdelle…), decorative arts (Gaudí, Guimard…), graphic arts, photography and architecture.
The Impressionist revolution
With the advent of photography in the second half of the 19th century, young painters, including Monet, Renoir, Sisley, Cézanne, Pissarro and Degas, no longer saw any point in simply trying to capture reality on canvas. Instead, they wanted to transcribe their impressions of reality. Going against the conservatism of the Academy, they started painting changes in light and scenes from daily life, away from the artist’s studio (the invention of supple paint tubes made it easier for them to paint outside!). Pictorially, this translated into games of contrast and complementing colours, creating the famous “Impressionist style.”
Monet, Manet, Renoir…
The Orsay possesses the largest collection of Impressionist paintings in the world, with more than 1,000 canvases. The top-floor gallery, devoted to the Impressionist movement, is organised around Manet’s innovative Déjeuner sur l’herbe. A visit here includes countless masterpieces, including Monet’s Poppy Field and The Saint-Lazare Station, Pissarro’s Landscape at Éragny, Renoir’s Dance at the Moulin de la Galette and Degas’s Little Dancer Aged Fourteen …
Some of the works already show signs of more the abstract style to come, with Cézanne’s geometric still-lifes or Monet’s Waterlilies – of which you can admire other versions at the Musée de l’Orangerie, an agreeable walk across the Seine over the Léopold-Sédar-Senghor footbridge. Post-Impressionism can be found on the median level, with 24 canvases by Van Gogh (including Starry Night), as well as works by Seurat (The Circus) and Matisse (Luxury, Peace and Pleasure)…
With children
The museum offers a range of Mini Tours to introduce children to these major movements, allowing children from ages 6 to 15 to enter the art world in a grand setting, but in a fun and age-appropriate manner.
Lunch at the museum
Fancy a sweet treat or a nice comforting meal? No need to leave the museum! The Restaurant with its listed 1900 decor and its breathtaking view of the great nave and the sculpture gallery, and the Café Campana, located at the exit of the Impressionists' gallery and its designer decor, will provide an excellent gourmet break.
Community facilities
Access and contact
Metro Solférino (line 12)
RER Musée d'Orsay (line C)
Bus 63, 68, 69, 73, 83, 84, 94
Days and opening hours
Every day throughout the year between 9.30 am and 6 pm. Closed on Monday. Closed exceptionally on May 1st and December 25th. Last access at 5pm.
Live waiting time
Prices
- Full price: 14 € Reduced price: 11 €.
Free entry for children < 18 years, Job-seeker, disabled people and accompanying persons.
The entrance ticket gives access to the permanent collections and temporary exhibitions. Free for all every first sunday of the month
Included in the Paris Museum Pass.
Services
- Ticketing in number
Tour
Spoken languages
- English
- French
Guided tour languages
- German
- English
- Spanish
- French
- Italian
Bulletin board languages
- English
- Spanish
- French
Single mean time tour
150 minsSingle services tour
- Unguided individual tours available permanently
- Guided individual tours on request
Accessibility
See on accessible.net- General
- Physical disability
- Deaf / Hard of Hearing
- Visual impairment
- Mental / Cognitive
- Family
- Senior
Access
Pratical informations
- access to the establishment: graspable outside call button
- floor-level pathways
- pathways that change levels are offset by a sloping surface
- adapted access control to the car park
- reserved and adapted parking space located close to the entrance of the site
- parking spaces laid out and connected to the road or building by an accessible pathway
- reception desk easily identifiable and accessible
- free admission for one accompanying person
- free admission on presentation of proof of entitlement
- the accessible entrance is the main entrance
- the accessible entrance is the secondary entrance (indicated)
- staff informed or trained
- specific tariff policy
- revolving entrance door
- automatic entrance door
- manual entrance door
- accessible information plates
- all documentation graspable
- performance room with a reserved space
- accessible cloakroom
- multimedia content access system
- spaces equipped with reserved spaces and adapted to people in wheelchairs
- floor-level establishment
- wheelchair loan
- seated area available
- seated areas available (several spread out across the entire site)
- présence d’un lave main dans les sanitaires adaptés
- accessible communal toilets
- toilets: transfer direction onto the toilet seat to the right
- toilets: transfer direction onto the toilet seat to the left
- Communal staircase adapted for secure movement
- adapted elevator
- elevator
- visual intercom
- acceo: instant speech transcription and visio-interpretation in French sign language (LSF)
- reception/information desk equipped with a hearing assistance system with a magnetic loop
- reservation/contact via SMS and/or email
- reservation possible by webcam
- staff trained in French sign language (LSF)
- uniform signage to help people find their way around
- text/image signage
- performance or tour assistance aids
- visual alarm with flashing light in isolated spaces
- intercom equipped with a hearing assistance system with a magnetic loop
- audiovisuals are in French sign language (LSF)
- subtitled audiovisuals
- visioguide with overlay in French sign language (LSF)
- subtitled visioguide
- adapted elevator
- audioguides equipped with a volume control device
- audioguides equipped with induction loops
- independent visit possible
- guided tour in French sign language (LSF)
- guided tour in international sign language (ISL)
- guided tours with lip reading
- guided tours with an amplifying device
- guided tours with a magnetic loop device
- exterior pathways identifiable by touch
- exterior pathways visually identifiable
- exterior lighting control system in communal areas
- interior pathways identifiable by touch
- interior pathways visually identifiable
- audioguide with description elements
- audioguide with guidance elements
- Braille documentation
- documentation in enlarged characters
- swell paper documentation
- floor-level establishment
- offset or no obstacles at face height
- navigation assistance tool (e.g. map/model - in relief/large characters/contrasting colours)
- possibility to control the lighting
- magnifying glass loan
- glass surfaces identifiable via contrasted elements in relation to the immediate surroundings
- audiodescription system
- elevator with audio announcements for each floor
- elevator with identifiable call buttons
- Legible information plates
- specific accessible information plates
- tactile tour
- the dangers identified have been addressed
- brochures/documentations classified by topic
- simplified adapted documentation (illustration through images, photos, drawings)
- adapted signage
- adapted activities
- educational workshops
- adapted room cards
- specific tours
- floor-level pathways
- adapted opening hours (morning performances)
- children's programme
- childcare service
- family tariffs/free admission for children
- secure and closed establishment
- large lockers or left luggage lockers for pushchairs
- possibility to leave pushchairs at the cloakroom
- floor-level establishment
- baby carrier loan
- pushchair loan
- changing table
- children's/family applications for the tour
- audioguides with a children's circuit
- children's visit booklets/games
- pushchairs accepted for the tour
- visioguides with a children's circuit
- floor-level pathways
- Pathways that change levels are offset by a sloping surface
- pets accepted on site and during guided tours
- reception desk easily identifiable and accessible
- reception/information desk equipped with a sound amplification system
- free admission for persons aged over 60
- Offer adapted to seniors
- cloakroom
- documentation in enlarged characters
- floor-level establishment
- wheelchair loan
- magnifying glass loan
- cane wheelchair loan
- seated areas available (several spread out across the entire site)
- horizontal support rail
- diagonal support rail to enable the seated person to raise themselves up easily
- communal staircase adapted for secure movement
- private staircase adapted for secure movement
- stairs compensated for by a lift or an elevator
- audioguides equipped with a volume control device
- audioguides equipped with induction loops
- Legible information plates
- Specific accessible information plates (large characters)
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- CRT IDF/Buchet