Musée de L'Orangerie contains a small, but impressive collection of paintings by late 18th to early 20th century masters such as Monet, Cézanne, Matisse, Picasso, Renoir, Modigliani, Soutine, Rousseau, and more.
In 1922 Claude Monet decided he would like to donate eight giant canvases of his famous Water Lilies (Nymphéas) to the French state to celebrate the end of WWI, but on condition that a suitable place could be found in which to display his work.
The French government selected the 'Orangerie des Tuileries' in Paris and the architect Camille Lefevre was appointed to renovate the building according to Monet's specifications. Lefevre designed two large oval galleries flooded with natural light thus displaying Monet's colourful paintings to their full luminous intensity. The renovation complete, the gallery lied empty until Monet's death in 1927, as the artist could not bare to be seperated from his work.
After its opening, the Musée de L'Orangerie collected other works, and in 1965 became the home of the Walter-Guillaume collection of impressionist paintings. In order to display these new works, a second floor was added to the gallery, covering most of the sky light making the space within dark and gloomy - a state of affairs that would surely have seen Monet spinning in his grave.
In 1999 the decision was taken to renovate the museum, opening up the skylights and allowing Monet's Water Lilies to once again be seen as the master originally intended. Work began in 2001 and the museum finally re-opened in 2006. Monet's 'Water Lilies' are now displayed on the upper floor, directly below the skylight, allowing them to be diffused by natural light just as Monet originally intended.
Prices
7.50 Euro
(Free Admission on the First Sunday of each month.)
Opening Times
9am to 6pm (Subject to change)
Closed: Tuesday
Closed: 1 May and 25 Dec
Address
Musée de l’Orangerie
Jardin des Tuileries
75001 Paris
Tel: 01 44 77 80 07
How to Get There
Métro: Concorde - line 1, 8 & 12
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