This place is amazing. Built in 1900, it was a railway station until 1939 where it went through a bit of a rough patch and was then converted to a museum in 1986. It holds mainly French art (ha, where else?) and has a nice collection of Impressionist work by Monet, Degas and Van Gogh.
You walk in and light pours through the huge atrium. Walk down a few steps and you see sculptures posing throughout the gallery which runs in between the separate Movement rooms. If you’ve had the foresight to grab a museum plan, you can jump straight to your favourite artists or movements. Otherwise, you’re stuck plodding along with the tourists who constantly take pictures of anything and everything.
I realise I’m being cynical toward tourists there but I can’t help but wish unpleasantness on anyone who, whilst I’m looking at a piece of art, stands directly in front of me to take a picture. I just don’t like it. This is the only problem I have with museums and galleries - other people.
They have an annual event here in Paris called Nuit Blanche where the museums and galleries stay open all night. I wish they had something similar called Sans Personnes where they basically let one person in at a time. That would be so ace.
Posted on 15th September 2008 at 8:06 pm