Tickets for Musée de l'Orangerie
Water Lilies and more Impressionist masterpieces
- See eight of Claude Monet’s famed Water Lilies bathed in natural light, in two oval rooms purpose-built to the artist's own specifications
- A perfect complement to a visit to the nearby Musée d'Orsay, just with fewer people and more space to enjoy works by Impressionist masters
- Holds a superb collection of works from luminaries including Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Paul Cézanne, and Auguste Renoir
The cruel stories of Paula Rego is an exhibition exploring the highly topical work of the acclaimed London Group's sole female member, Paula Rego. Obsessed by the literary and cultural visions of the 19th century, Rego intertwines fantastical references with strong autobiographical elements and the social and political issues of contemporary life. The dark narratives of her paintings evoke twisted visions of cruelty, social codes, and women's issues in strange times. Her work has never been more relevant than now.
The Musée de l'Orangerie is a gallery of Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings. The huge (and hugely impressive) Monet paintings - Water Lilies - are definitely the main event, but they are far from the only reason to visit; the museum also contains works by Cézanne, Matisse, Picasso, Renoir, and Rousseau, among others. A superb collection of canvases, in a beautiful and airy setting.
When WWI was coming to close, Claude Monet, one of the founders of Impressionism (the term 'impressionism' comes from a painting he made), offered some canvases to the French state.
He wrote a letter to the Prime Minister stating that, "It's not much, but it's the only way I have of taking part in the victory." His only condition was that his paintings be housed in a suitable venue. The then-underused Orangerie in the Tulieries Garden was just the spot.
The two oval rooms that display the eight massive (2x6m) canvases were partially designed by Monet himself; unsurprisingly they make great use of natural light. These paintings, which showcase his groundbreaking brush techniques, are the undeniable centerpiece of the museum, (and the setting for a key scene in Woody Allen's 2011 film Midnight in Paris).
It's remarkable that every square inch of each canvas seems to have been treated with the same loving attention to detail and painstaking effort - despite the artist suffering from cataracts at the time.
In addition to the Monets, the museum has a broad collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings. In another museum, these works - by artists including Matisse, Picasso Cézanne, and Renoir - would be the pride of the collection.
Renovated between 2000-2006, the museum is bright and well-planned (and because it doesn't have the name recognition of the nearby Musée d'Orsay, blessedly less crowded). So, like the characters in Midnight in Paris, take some time to soak up some of the finest art of the 20th century (and seize the chance to see the Water Lilies in a custom-built space).
- Entrance to the museum via dedicated line (but you can't skip the security check)
- Access to permanent and temporary exhibition
Show your smartphone ticket at the line for 'Visitors with tickets'.
Cancellations are not possible for this ticket.
