23. Musee d'Orsay

Dear Jaded Reader,

Or should that be Jaded Photographer, or Jaded Tourist,  I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed tonight!  I saw so many famous paintings today, packed into only a few hours - that it has left me feeling a bit stunned.  

The Orsay is the museum housing the paintings and sculpture of the Realists, the Impressionists and the Post Impressionists.  It covers the great artistic period between 1850 and 1900 (roughly). Artists like Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Degas, Pissaro, Sisley, Gaugin, Rousseau, Rodin and of course Claude Renoir (the only men who can send Paul into raptures).  

Musee d'Orsay

It reads like the syllabus of Year 11 and 12 Art Studies (and in my day that is exactly what it was).  Although the museum is currently undergoing extensive renovations and part of the permanent collection is not on view, it was stunning.  This is our third visit and it was just as overwhelming the third time as it was the first time.

Le Musee d'Orsay was originally a railway station.  When you get up close to it you recognise a whole lot of things that make you think, "Oh, that reminds me of a railway station!".  

Cameras are not allowed at all in this museum, and I felt pretty sly taking the pics I did.  However, as long as the flash was turned off, the guards pretty much turned a blind eye.  So all of these photos were taken quickly and without a flash - that is why the quality is not fabulous and the level/ direction/ framing is a bit skewed.

Looking down the length of the building from the entrance.  The sculptures are in the central area and the paintings are all in small rooms to each side of this central passage.  Can you imagine this as "Grand Central Station"?

The same central passage taken from the lower floor level.

A real stand-out for me. By Edgar Degas - Pastel of a woman ironing.  The photo doesn't do justice to the impact of the work.  She looked so hot and sick of it all, I had to take my jacket off in sympathy.

Also by Edgar Degas - Bronze of a dancer.  The top of her dress is painted over the bronze. And the bottom of her dress is real lace.  This came to Melbourne in the Impressionist exhibition of the early 2000's.  

Auguste Renoir.  You felt she was actually looking at you.

And this fabulous Renoir... also came to Melbourne, or if not this, one very like it.

The long gallery again, this time from the far end, looking back towards the entry.  Can you see the magnificent railway station clock, seemingly suspended in space, at the far end?

Looking out a rather dirty window on the top level, there is the river (again) and the Louvre (again).

This was a large room/gallery on the top floor.  It shows the incredible ceilings and the roof panels and the arches of the old railway station.

This is the gallery next to the previous one.  Did you see the ABCTV Series called the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood?  These two rooms hold work from those artists.

And it was all over too quickly..... 6pm and time to leave - they had to throw us out!.   We walked home along the river and spied this little electric car.

I love this photo.  Doesn't Paul look as though he's saying... "Who pulled my bloody lead out?"

This is an electric vehicle re-charging station.  With places for 2 cars.  Pity about the graffiti.  There's not a lot of graffiti around Paris so what does this tell us ??? .  

But you can see how vulnerable the public re-charging system of "plugging-in" is.  Any moron can come along and PULL YOUR PLUG OUT!