We’ll begin the tour by first considering the museum's unique structure. First constructed by architect Victor Laloux as a rail station, the site was preserved as a historical building before opening as a museum in 1986. Next, we will dive into the art, concentrating primarily on painting. Following a roughly chronological trajectory, we'll begin on the ground floor with the works of the Barbizon school and Corot. Emphasizing nature and atmosphere, these artists made a break from the expectations of previous schools and were freed from focusing on antiquity and classicism. From here, we'll move on to the works of Realist artists like Courbet and Manet, where we'll examine the new techniques and ideas that they introduced and how it inspired the future Impressionists. 

Continuing on, we'll discuss the spread of Impressionism and its radical departure from traditional schools of painting while examining the works of Monet, Renoir, Degas, and Pissarro. After, we'll look at the influence Impressionism had on subsequent artists, such as Cézanne and Van Gogh, and how it gradually morphed into several different movements such as Neo-impressionism, Fauvism, and Pointillism. To finish, we will look at these movements and the artists they produced, including Matisse and Gauguin. By the end of our time together we'll have a robust understanding of these major art movements and how they contributed to the formation of modern art.

For children we recommend our shorter Musée d'Orsay with Kids Tour, which is led by scholars specially trained in educating children.

 

No, unfortunately, due to venue reservation restrictions, we cannot accommodate groups larger than 6 people. If your group is larger, we recommend you split into multiple groups.

When is the best time to visit Musée d’Orsay? 
The Musée d’Orsay is very busy and not as spacious as the Louvre. We highly recommend visiting the museum when it is open late on Thursday evenings.

Is the Musée d’Orsay wheelchair accessible?
The Musée d’Orsay is wheelchair accessible, and offers wheelchair rental. There are elevators throughout the museum and you can print a wheelchair accessibility guide from the site. We are happy to discuss possible adjustments to the tour for visitors with mobility concerns.