Paris Weekend Break

The Musee d' Orsay

Situated on the left hand bank of the Seine, this former railway station now holds one of the world's premier collections of impressionist art work. Most of the exhibits are by French artists and the time span that it covers runs from 1848 to 1914.

The Musee d Orsay officially opened in 1986 and displays works by Renoir and Monet, but the complete list of artists is comprehensive and also includes names like Jules Desbois, Edouard Manet, Jean-Leon Gerome and Maurice Denis.

Other exhibits, also French, include furniture, sculptures and photography and the museum receives over three million visitors every year.

The buildings history

As a railway station, the Musee d' Orsay building was one of a number of important structures completed for the Universal Exposition of 1900. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) the design of the building was short sighted and by 1939 it was unsuitable for mainline trains.

Initially the station remained in use for local services and was even used a mail centre during the second World War, but by 1973 it had become redundant.

After four years of neglect this quite beautiful building was identified as being a potential housing for a musem and by 1986 it was completed and inaugurated by the French president.

Today the building is one of the outstanding sights and exhibits of the river Seine area.