Must-see Viewing for Monet Fans
Three Sites Offering the Life and Works of the French Impressionist
May 18, 2009
A popular museum along the River Seine, an intimate, less-visited gallery in a quiet Paris neighborhood, and the artist’s former residence outside the city provide three ways to experience the life and works of impressionist Claude Monet.
Masterpieces in a Former Train Station
The Orsay Museum, or Musee d’Orsay, holds Europe’s greatest collection of Impressionistic works. “Impressionism” was a French painting school formed in the second half of the 19th century that included Monet, Manet, Renoir, Degas, and many others. These artists decided to depart from traditional ways of reproducing the real world by painting out in the open air and using spots and strokes of brilliant colors to suggest their “impression” of what they saw.
A train station built in 1900 on the left bank of the Seine (the Gare d’Orsay) was renovated from 1977 to1986 to serve as the popular new home to hundreds of Impressionistic paintings, sketches, and sculptures. A Paris museum pass will allow visitors to skip long lines at the entrance at 1 rue de Bellechasse, where the museum is open Tuesdays to Sundays 9.30 to 6.
Monet’s Paintings Without the Crowds
The Musee Marmottan at 2 rue Louis-Boilly in Paris holds the world’s largest collection of works by Claude Monet, although many visitors to Paris are not aware of its existence. A short bus or metro ride (La Muetta is the nearest metro stop) brings the traveler to a pleasant neighborhood of parks and shops where the private residential museum is located. The former mansion has over 100 of Monet’s works, including many in the water lily series of paintings. Also in the collection is Impression:Sunrise, the classic waterfront painting that gave Impressionism its start. The museum is open every day from 11 to 6, but admission is not covered by the Paris museum pass.
Monet’s Home and Gardens in Giverny
A day trip from Paris to Monet’s former home in Giverny is recommended to appreciate the actual site that inspired him to reproduce his famous water lilies and other masterpieces. After moving to Giverny in 1883, Monet finally achieved recognition for his works, and his forty-three years there were the most creative in his career. Visitors can tour Monet’s home, studio, and colorful gardens, then walk a short distance to a pond surrounded by willows and swimming with lily pads. A path leads across a replica of the iconic Japanese bridge that is found in many of his most loved works. There, visitors should have no difficulty imagining themselves part of a beautiful impressionist painting.
Giverny is open daily from April 1st to November 1st, from 9:30 to 6. It is accessible by car, train, or by many daily excursions scheduled through hotels or tourist centers. Admission is required for both guided and unguided tours.
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