Musee d’Orsay Art Museum: A Day Among Exceptional Art in Paris, France International

Housed in an old train station, the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, France, is so much more than an art museum. It is an architectural masterpiece with its glass ceilings, brick walls and spectacular open gallery floor. When I first walked through the lobby and into the open first floor, my mouth fell open. The massiveness of the space, flanked by gorgeous sculptures, was like nothing I had experienced before. I took my time taking in all of the details from the glass, the sculpture, the people and the art.

Separate rooms organize the paintings, furniture and sculpture by time period and/or style. My expectations were high and yet they were still exceeded. Paintings I had seen only in textbooks, magazines or as prints were now hanging in front of me. Suddenly their magnificence became real. Monets, Manets, Renoirs and VanGoghs hung on the walls throughout the museum. Although the museum was crowded, and selfies are allowed, I found a way to stand in the moment and take in the talent of artists throughout history.

Despite the crowds and the large galleries the museum felt more intimate than most. The warmth of the museum filled my soul and inspired me. As we ate lunch in the café, we talked about the new artists we discovered and the new appreciation we had for art we had grown up with. The rain we stood in waiting for tickets became an inconveniece, but we would easily endure again. (If you want to visit the Musee d’Orsay I would strongly recommend buying tickets online to avoid the very long line I stood in.)

Read more about my experiences in Paris, France, at SoOffWeGo. 

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