Impressionists Floor Closed at Orsay

I don't know the status of the paintings at the d'Orsay, but if you like Impressionists and Claude Monet in particular--though the museum also has special exhibits of other Impressionsists--you might consider a visit to the Marmottan, along with the d'Orsay it was a highlight of my trip to Paris.

Well, let’s find some workarounds for you: the Orangerie has a lot of Impressionists downstairs, in addition to the Monet rooms upstairs. I’ve never been, but I heard the Montmartre museum has Impressionist paintings. The previously mentioned Marmottan not only has its collection of Impressionists, but it also has a special exhibit right now. The Pompidou picks up where the Orsay leaves off, in 1906.

On my first visit a couple years ago they were doing some reno of that floor, but they rearranged many paintings so many were on view. It was certainly worth the visit.

This after much of the museum being closed for so long for renovations? For several years I delayed taking my wife to Paris until the D'Orsay reopened with it's entire collection....
To get clarity you should consider calling the museum to get the facts. What a disaster!

This is unfortunate, but absolutely not a disaster.

Paris is a fabulous city with so much to see. You will have no problem finding much to see and experiencing great joy in it all.

Stay positive! Have a great trip!

The Orsay website is clear , the impressionist section is closed through 11/23 . There is , however , so much else of value and beauty , that a visit would still be in order . The Marmottan does have some impressionist work in its collection , imcluding , if I remember , a fair number of works by Berthe Morisot . If you visit The Marmottan , you can walk back to Trocadero through Passy , and stop at The Passy Cemetery just before you reach Trocadero . Beautiful funerary art there , and the graves of Edouard and Eugene Manet , Berthe Morisot , and just inside the entrance , Julie Manet ( Rouart ) , the daughter of Berthe Morisot and Eugene Manet .

Thank you all! We do plan to visit the other major museums and Marmottan, and we will certainly still go to the Orsay. I have fortunately been before, but was very much looking forward to seeing this favorite with my teenagers and my mother. I guess this will just leave us more time for other sights.

There is also a wonderful Mucha retrospective at the Senate Museum in Luxembourg Gardens . I saw this last week , and it is a must https://en.museeduluxembourg.fr/museum

I know this is disappointing. There were three major museums closed during my visit to Budapest this May, and I think there are five sights that are either closed or iffy for my planned trip to Glasgow next summer. It's always better to know ahead of time rather than have a last-minute disappointment.

On the positive side, it is rare for me to show up in a major city and not find an unexpected temporary exhibition that I'm really excited about.

I was at d'Orsay last week and enjoyed the Picasso exhibit, the entire 5th floor of Post Impressionists & impressionists as well as Impressionist works on 0 and below. There is plenty to see.

" Le Dejeuner sur L'Herbe " is indeed a great work . I do not understand your point . There is much great art in many institutions , that is one masterpiece of many . So , what are you saying ?

While I would certainly agree that The Orsay is indeed one of the greatest of all art institutions , to say that nothing ( in Paris , at least ) rises to that level , would certainly find devotees of the Louvre in strong disagreement with your statement . And , frankly , if we are looking past Paris , and your initial remarks apply to those myriad museums in other cities ( Vienna , Florence , Rome , NYC , St Petersburg ) , that seems to me , quite an unreasonable stretch .

Look on the bright side. Chances are it won't be crowded. Also, you won't be exhausted before seeing the rest of the Orsay's impressive collections. The last time I visited was in April 3-4 years ago. I arrived about 1/2 hour after opening and went straight to the Impressionists, it was so crowded, it was hard to see many of the paintings.

Chances are it won't be crowded.

At least the two times I went last week, the Musée d'Orsay was PACKED to the gills. I left the first time because the Museum Pass security line was closed so everybody had to use the same line which extended a few blocks past the building.

No need to rue over a closure at d"Orsay; it happens. Look at the Louvre! I wrote about my visit to d"Orsay in my trip report (and my experience about wanting to see 3 specific galleries in the Louvre that were again closed) yesterday in the trip report forum. There is MUCH to see especially the Picasso exhibit and the entire 5th floor which is an absolute treat. For example, I was able to relive parts of the Van Gogh in Arles exhibition that came to the Metropolitan Museum in the 80s by seeing the works d"Orsay has in its collection. It was fabulous! There is plenty to see without worrying about quantity.

The works you wish to see that are not in view could be on loan; they could also be in storage. Perhaps the information desk could be helpful to the specific paintings you seek.

That is quite correct , The Louvre collections run to about 1850 . You have made a value judgment about the holdings in these two museums based on personal taste . Having a preference for impressionist art is fine , but that does not negate the inherent beauty and validity of other styles of art and the historical background in which they occur .

On the positive side, it is rare for me to show up in a major city and not find an unexpected temporary exhibition that I'm really excited about.

I agree, and it's not just in major cities. I've experienced that many times in small cities in France.

I was recently in Paris.
The Impressionist paintings will be non-accessible from November 13-23.
However, until the 13th, they have moved some of them (not all) to the 5th floor at the far end of the museum.
So anyone there over this weekend will still get to see some of them.
The Van Gogh paintings remain in their usual galleries and I assume will still be available during this renovation as are the early paintings of some impressionists such as Manet.
It is a big disappointment... you have my sympathy. Hopefully visiting the Marmottan and Orangerie will help a little.

Andrew, the goal here is to help our OP maintain the excitement about a trip to Paris, ability to see the complete collection at the d'Orsay or not. Fortunately he/she has been there before and is wisely rationalizing that this temporary glitch, "will just leave us more time for other sights".

Good for you, epj! You are far from the first to plan a stay in (city) only to find much-anticipated attractions completely or partially closed. That has certainly happened to us on multiple occasions! Did that spoil the trips? Only if we'd allowed it to. Do try Musée de l'Orangerie, and explore beyond the Impressionists if so inclined? Musée National du Moyen Age is wonderful if you've not yet done it.

Kathy, I did not get that from the OP.

Didn't get what from the OP? The quote about the closure making time for other venues was from him/her so they're open to Plan B. Offering alternatives for other interesting artwork to see even if it's not Impressionists - which you hadn't done before offering up the Pompidou - helps expectations for the trip stay on the positive side. :O)

Steven and Andrew,

With all due respect, take your bickering offline. You both may have valid points, but you are turning this into your own little battlefield. I might easily see myself doing the same thing, and if so, I would hope someone would give me a reality check. Peace out...

Steven moved on days ago. This has been Kathy making a point and Andrew responding.