Musee d'Orsay

On Saturday in Paris we visited the Orsay Museum, which contains the collections of art created between the oldest in the Louvre and the Paris museum of Modern Art. The building itself was once a train station, which ceased functioning and was converted in 1977 and opened in 1986. It still looks like a train station, complete with the giant clock, but has art stuffed in the wings, and large sculptures from the likes of Rodin and Carpeaux displayed in the open area where the tracks were.

We viewed paintings by Van Gogh, Degas, Manet, Renoir, Klimt, and other masters of the period. We saw sculptures by Rodin, Gauguin, Carpeaux and others. There were some early photography works on display, glassware, and some models and a respectable display of art nouveau, including an entire reconstructed room based around the theme from top to bottom. Judi is rather a fan of art nouveau, so she was exited to see that.

We had coffee in the café there, which was once the restaurant and feast hall of the hotelthat operated within the congruent wings. This room itself is a work of art, with high painted ceiling and a good view of the Seine. Coffee breaks are good for the feet.

Following our long visit to the Orsay, which is thankfully manageable in a day even if we walked out at the latest possible minute, we once again headed to the Latin Quarter and had Thai food for dinner.