Travel Date: Tuesday, May 7, 2024
With our acts finally together, by which I mean with timed tickets purchased in advance, we finally gained admission to the Musée d’Orsay. What a splendid facility it is! The museum is housed in a former train station and it becomes clear from the moment you step inside that a former train station, particularly one with a lot of light available from arched ceilings, is an excellent location for a world-class art collection.
The original Gare d’Orsay was a notable achievement, having been built to accommodate and welcome the thousands of people who came by train to visit Paris for the Universal Exhibition of 1900.
The collection on display at the facility today includes art that ranges from the Revolutionary Era in the late 1700s to the early years of the 20th century. In total, 140,000 works are located here, including “paintings, sculptures, drawings, objets d’art, photographs – and the world’s finest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings” (d’Orsay signage).
Upon entry, visitors are greeted by magnificent overviews of the museum, where art is not confined to the galleries.
Of course, there are separate galleries as well, containing some of the most famous paintings and sculptures in the world. I find it a genuine thrill to see the original of a famous work of art, or even of an artist I haven’t known too much about before. Standing in front of the canvas or the sculpture gives me a sense of connection with the artist that always makes me feel like going someplace and writing something. It’s rejuvenating.
And there are so many well- known Van Goghs at the Musée d’Orsay: all splendid and impressive! I was particularly enchanted by the painting titled “The Church at Auvers.” It looks like something out of a Tim Burton film.
And there were Cézannes….
And Renoirs!
And Monets!
And many others.
The Musée d’Orsay has three eating facilities, one of which – the Cafe Campana on the fifth floor – offers a view across the Seine towards Montmartre through its famous window clock.
Some of the most interesting sculptures were outside the museum. These two were created in 1878.
After we left the Musée d’Orsay, we made our way to one of the most famous English-language bookstores in the world: Shakespeare and Company. The shop opened in 1951 and remains a must-see destination for readers and writers – particularly anglophones – who visit Paris. Taking photos inside is not permitted, so if you haven’t done so already, you’ll just have to go there and see the place yourself. It is a warren of delights for booklovers.
“I created this bookstore like a man would write a novel, building each room like a chapter, and I like people to open the door the way they open a book, a book that leads into a magic world in their imaginations.”
— George Whitman
Since I’ve come home I’ve read a lovely work of fiction – The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl – that is set in part at Shakespeare and Company. The online blurb describes it as “Named a must-read for spring 2024 by Eater, Oprah Daily, Chatelaine, Brit+Co and Everything Zoomer. A dazzling, heartfelt adventure through the food, art, and fashion scenes of 1980s Paris—from the New York Times bestselling author of Save Me the Plums and Delicious!” It is a sensory delight and a fine adventure, and I recommend it.
We finished our day of cultural meanderings with another excellent Lebanese dinner at Chez Sofia, near our hotel.
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