A guide to the Orsay Museum in Paris, the world’s largest art museum

Counted among the largest museums of France, the Orsay Museum in Paris is housed in the erstwhile Grand d’Orsay railway station that boasts of Beaux-Arts architecture and was built between 1898 and 1900. Until the year 1939, this turn of the century building was the terminus for France’s southwestern railways. Designed by three architects- Lucien Magne, Émile Bénard and Victor Laloux, the railway station was constructed for Chemin de Fer de Paris à Orléans, and saw its completion for the 1900 Exposition Universelle.

With the introduction of longer trains for mainline services, the short platforms of the Gare d’Orsay railway station led to it being used only for suburban services, with part of it serving as a mailing centre during World War II. In 1978, the station complex was listed as a Historic Monument. Then came the suggestion by the Directorate of the Museums of France to turn the historic building into a museum. The plan to build a museum that would bridge the gap between the Louvre and the National Museum of Modern Art was accepted and the historic make-over began in 1978. Once completed, it took six months to arrange the 2000 plus paintings and more than 600 sculptures, among other works. The Orsay Museum was inaugurated and announced open by the then French President François Mitterrand in December, 1986.

The Orsay Museum is the second most visited museum in Paris, and for good reason too! The enormous collection of paintings, sculptures, and other exhibits is unique and representative of an important part of French and world history. On any given day, the museum is visited by thousands of art lovers, travellers, and even local residents, leading to ticketing queues stretching up to an hour. You can try some of these tricks to avoid standing in the unending line:

1. Purchasing online tickets in advance
Orsay Museum’s unparalleled collection, and its proximity to the Louvre Museum attracts curious visitors in large numbers, every day throughout the year. One of the best ways to avoid standing in the painfully long ticketing queues is to purchase a ticket online, before your visit to the museum.

2. Choosing the right entrance

There are four entrances to the museum- Entrance A, B, C, and D. Gate C is for those who have booked a ticket in advance and ensures quick entry into the complex. Gate A is for people who wish to buy the ticket upon reaching the museum, and Gates B and D are open for giving entry to school and adult groups only.

3. Going at the right time
Orsay Museum is open all days till 6:00 PM, but on Thursdays the museum closes at 9:45 PM- making this the best time to explore the museum at leisure. Musee d’Orsay is closed on Mondays, and on Tuesdays its quite crowded since the Louvre remains closed on these days.

Small Dancer Aged 14, Edgar Degas

An example of hyper realism, the original work by Degas was made of wax and is naturally coloured, dressed in a tutu wearing real hair and dancing slippers. After his death in 1917, multiple copies of this famous sculpture were made in copper, including the one at Orsay Museum. Degas is known to have represented the society of hs time with his work, as in this sculpture that the critics believe was compared to a monkey or an Aztec.

Starry Night, Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh’s fixation with starry nights began with his arrival in Arles, and he first painted a part of the night sky in Cafe Terrace on Place du Forum, Arles. The next painting by him that depicted the nocturnal sky was the view of the Rhône which he depicted with strong strokes of dark shades of blue. The Starry Night came a few months later when the famous painter was in a mental institution, and this painting vividly represents his state of mind with trees looking like flames, and starts creating a whirling cosmic sight. The Starry Night at Orsay Museum is a more serene painting, maybe because of the presence of lovers at the bottom of the painting.

Bal du Moulin de la Galette, Pierre-Auguste Renoir

The late 19the century saw many Parisians dressing up tp spend their sunday afternoons at the Moulin de la Galette, where they would dance and drink and eat galettes till the sub set. The Dance at Le moulin de la Galette is known for its fresh fluidity and strong brush strokes that freezes these sunday afternoons in a painting.

Poppy Field, Claude Monet

The Poppy Field by Monet is counted among the kost famous paintings in the world. The artist creates a happy disposition in the painting by diluting the contours of colourful blobs of paint that give this painting its visual appeal. It is believed that the young woman in the painting is Monet’s wife Camille, and the child is their son Jean.

Bazille’s Studio, Frederic Bazille

Bazille, who moved to Paris to study medicine, found good friends in Monet, Renoir, and Sisley when he turned to painting. The scene in this painting is set in Bazille’s studio and depicts his criticism of the Academy and in that affirms his vision of art. This painting became a signature piece upon the artist’s death after a few months in a combat during the Franco-Prussian War.