Paintings in the Musee D'Orsay

About this book

Situated in the heart of Paris the Musee dOrsay boasts the greatest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the world a collection unparalleled in its diversity and quality. Since its spectacular opening in 1986 in a renovated train station the museum has welcomed more than 50 million visitors to view works by Bouguereau Courbet Renoir Cezanne Van Gogh Monet Manet Redon Whistler Gauguin and other artists of the mid-19th century to the early 20th century. In this deluxe large-format volume the Musee dOrsays director Serge Lemoine and his team of curators and specialists examine the museums holdings and the history surrounding them ranging from the primacy of academic painting through the shock of Impressionism to the rise of modern art. Included are many seminal works of the period including Whistlers Mother Manets The Balcony Cezannes Apples and Oranges Monets Blue Water Lilies and Van Goghs Bedroom at Arles. With 830 full-colour illustrations of masterpieces by some of the worlds best-loved artists this is the definitive guide to paintings in one of the worlds most popular museums. The exhaustive scope of this book and the richness of its imagery make Paintings in the Musee dOrsay an essential addition to the bookshelves of all lovers of Impressionism and of great art.