From Manet to Monet and Rodin to Renoit...
There are over 100 museums and art galleries in Paris. We have listed below our favourite places that we would recommend to any tourist or local alike. Catering for a wide variety in tastes and interests, there is a lot on offer- and you can easily find yourself spending many hours or even a whole day losing oneself… This post follows on from our “A week in Paris” post- which gives more detail about the gardens, tourist attractions, food etc- with many more more photos and recommendations- do have a read!
Grand Palais et Petit Palais
Located across the road from each other, a short walk from the Place de la Concorde you can find the two palaces- Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées (big palace) and Petit Palais- Musée des beaux-arts de la ville de Paris (little palace). The Grand Palais was constructed in 1900 as part of the Universal Exposition, with the Petit Palais being created at the same time. Inside, you will find an incredibly large exhibition/events hall and a science museum (Palais de la Découverte- see here for more). Very representative of the “Belle Epoque”, the architecture is simply incredible!
During our visit, we only visited the Petit Palais, but would suggest you check out what exhibitions and events are on at the Grand Palais here. It is worth noting that the Grand Palais will close in 2021 for a refurbishment, and is expected to open again in 2024- where it will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games. More details on the proposed works, alongside the history of the Grand Palais can be found here.
Grand Palais
Petit Palais
We managed to visit an exhibition on Impressionists at the Petit Palais. The Petit Palais (as you can tell by its name) is obviously slightly smaller, but is nevertheless as stunning, in a Beaux-Arts style. We would say that this art museum is certainly worth visiting- for both it’s art collections but also for the architecture, and even the stunning garden in the centre of the building. It is often overlooked with many tourists choosing the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay, which makes it slightly less busy. Also the garden and its cafe makes for a pleasant escape from the hustle and bustle of the city!
The Museum itself contains a number of collections- ranging from the Middle Ages to Renaissance and the Classical World, split over two floors. See here for the full list of the collections, and here for the museum map.
With regards to admission, admission to the permanent collection is free, however there is a charge for temporary exhibitions- such as the Impressionists one we attended. More information on visting the museum, including buying tickets online is available here.
Petit Palais
Musée d’Orsay
Located on the other side of the Seine to the Louvre and le jardin des Tuileries, the Musée d’Orsay is an incredibly stunning museum. Formely the building used to be a railway station, Gare d’Orsay, however, by 1939 the platforms became too short for the new, longer trains, so gradually its use as a train station ceased. The station was almost demolished in 1970, however the Minister for Cultural Affairs at the time voted against this, and instead the station was designed as a Historic Monument. The idea then came about to convert it into a museum, and over the next few decades, much time and work was spent on redesigning the floorspace. In 1986, the museum started to receive artwork for display, and was opened by the end of that year.
The interior of the museum is stunning. The space is vast and there is a lot to see. Similarly, the art on display is as impressive, and there is an outstanding collection of various paintings, sculptures and other works. There is something for everyone- whether you are interested in Manet or Monet, Rodin or Renoit. A full map of the museum is available here, alongside the main offerings of the museum. We easily spent a few hours walking around. There is a cafe in the museum as well for a coffee break.
Similar to the Louvre, some visitors can benefit from free admission- a full list of those eligible is available here. The full admission price is 16 euros- whilst you can be buy tickets in person on the day, you can also be buy them online in advance, here. We actually bought a combination ticket for the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée de l’Orangerie- the price is currently around 18 euros and gives you the chance to view two incredible museums.
Views over Musée D’Orsay
Views of Sacré-Cœur from Musée D’Orsay
Musée de l’Orangerie
Located in Jardin des Tuilleries, the Musée de l’Orangerie is a small yet stunning art gallery, primarily with impressionist paintings. Interestingly, the Orangerie was initially built in 1852 to store orange trees from the Jardin des Tuilleries during the winter months. The Orangerie however fell under the ownership of the State after the fall of the Empire in 1870 and was used for events and functions. It was only in 1921 that the building’s use changed, and it was decided it would be used for artists to display their works.
That year, Monet was working on the Nymphéas (Water Lillies) and it was agreed that these very paintings would be displayed in the Orangerie. As a result, two specific rooms had to be created, oval in shape, to display the paintings, and Monet himself became involved in the plans and designs for this. More details about the history of the building can be found here.
These days, as well as the Nymphéas on display, visitors can also see various other exhibitions, as well as the Jean Walter-Paul Guillaume Collection.
As the museum isn’t very large, walking around doesn’t take quite as long as the Louvre or Musée d’Orsay. Similarly to some of the other museums, there is free admission for some visitors, whilst full priced tickets are around €12.50. As mentioned above, there is also the option to buy a combination ticket to also include entry to Musée d’Orsay- which we’d recommend. For more information about the ticket prices and to book- see here. If you are a fan of Monet, we would say the Musée de l’Orangerie is a must visit!
The nymphéas at L’Orangerie- scroll across to see more
Musée Jacquemart-André
A private museum located in the 8th arrondissement, a short walk from the Grand Palais and the Place de la Concorde, the Musée Jacquemart-André is simply stunning. Built in 1869 as the home of Nélie Jacquemart and Édouard André, the museum was created in 1913 to display the substantial collection of art built up by Nélie and Édouard. More on the fascinating history of the couple can be read here.
The museum is now split into five sections- the state apartments, informal apartments, private apartments, winter garden and the incredibly impressive Italian Museum. There is a lot on display here- various sculptures, paintings, pieces of furniture. There are also separate galleries for Florence and Venice to display the various works- you can clearly see how important Italian art was to the couple. Another impressive feature is the staircase- as you can see from our photos- which has a beautiful design and incorporates a variety of materials including marble and bronze.
The tickets are around €12, and there are discounts available for students etc- more details are available here. As part of the ticket fee, you are offered an audio guide. We found this very useful and interesting, given just how many pieces of art there were to see! We also stopped off at the Café Jacquemart-André for some tea. The café offers a really good break and escape from the city in a wonderful and peaceful setting! This was perhaps one of our favourite places during the trip- both the art and the house were just stunning and we would definitely recommend this to others.
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