Hi,
We will be in Paris for 6 days in June. We need to pick one museum to visit in our itinerary. So the major contenders are Louvre, Orsay, Jacqumarte Andre, Pompeidou Center. Since my wife is not huge fan of museums, I don't want to bore her and want to include just one museum. Also the another major criteria would be lesser the crowd better it is. On our last trip to New york, we enjoyed the MET museum.
Please provide your suggestions which one to pick.
Paris has some of the best museums in the world and they are a highlight of most people's time there. If you enjoyed a Met visit in NYC then you can enjoy a Louvre visit in Paris, or an Orsay visit, or even a Pompidou visit. It's all about balance and with six days to play with, you have plenty of time to achieve it.
There is nothing wrong with spending just an hour in a museum seeing a few things that you find of interest. You don't need to walk every corridor, past every painting. With Orsay and Pompidou the buildings themselves are of interest.
I sympathize with your wife. I do not like to spend time in museums if I can be outside. Museums, for me, are for rotten weather days. . .and for special exhibits
Most people are not prepared for how gigantic the Louvre is. For anyone who is not a fan of museums, this choice, (unless I wanted to see a special exposition) would be akin to torture. The Orsay is the place to be for Impressionists but is loud and crowded. The Pompidou is also huge. Considering all, I suggest l'Orangerie, the Rodin for sculpture and a lovely garden and the Jacquemart-Andre for setting. There are many special expositions at any time in Paris. Often they are held at out of the mainstream smaller more navigable museums and are therefore less crowded. A museum I love which few seem to go to is Le Musee de la Vie romantique. quiet, restaurant, always interesting exhibit in a lovely out of the way area of Paris. If your wife is fashion oriented there is a dynamite Balenciaga exhibit at the Musee Bourdelle
What type of art is your/her favorite? Here are my thoughts, I haven't been to the Jaquemart Andre so can't comment on it
Louvre - it's iconic and has world recognized masterpieces like Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. It's also HUGE and the crowds around the famous works are overwhelming. If you go, early or late and have a plan for what to see. There are online maps and suggested routes - get one or else you will wander aimlessly.
Orsay - this is my favorite but is all impressionist/post impressionist. It's much smaller than the Louvre and the train station building is interesting in itself. I think the art here is more appealing to people who don't study art, this has been my experience, but obviously that varies. It is also crowded - avoid free day whatever you do!
Pompidou - what is your opinion on contemporary and modern art? If that's not your thing then skip it. If you like it - this museum is awesome. Very, very different than the Louvre. Also not extremely crowded. At least go to the fountain outside and also ride the escalator to the top for views (separate ticket from museum).
I'd do Orsay - its a classic Parisian must-see but not as overwhelming as the Louvre.
I would think that if you enjoyed the Met - which has an enormous collection - that you would enjoy the Louvre as well. Both are also very busy museums so if you managed the one, you could manage the other. It would help to spend some time with the website to understand how its organized and where some of collections which might interest you are located.
I might also suggest the Musée national du Moyen Âge? That one features a collection of Medieval art and artifacts that we enjoyed very much, and it wasn't crowded at all. It's also a very manageable size.
http://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum-monument/71363/Musee-de-Cluny-Le-monde-medieval
I am a little curious? According to previous posts, you spent a week in Paris last summer? I'm wondering what you visited there on your last trip, and what you're thinking of doing on your upcoming trip to fill 6 days?
Kathy -
I am not sure where I posted that I visited Paris in the past. This is my first visit to Europe :)
I was just planning last year, but it did not materialize.
I was just planning last year, but it did not materialize.
Ah. It wasn't clear that last year's trip didn't happen. I was just interested so that we didn't make suggestions for things you might already have seen.
Visiting a museum will be a whole new experience if you splurge and hire a guide. Knowing the history & circumstances about a piece really brings them to life and adds a whole new level of understanding and appreciation. We have used one in past visits for both the d'Orsay & J. Andre and thoroughly enjoyed both.
ETA: The d'Orsay is IMO is is easier on the eye - especially for a non-museum person. The subject matter of Impressionism is generally lighter.
Given your criteria, if I had to pick just one it would be the D'Orsay--I enjoyed that one far more than the Louvre (not my favorite art) and while I loved the art in the Pompidou from 1880 or so til 1950, the really modern stuff leaves me cold.
Since I love Impressionist art -- and Monet in particular -- I would suggest the waterlilies at the Orangerie or (and) the Marmatton, a small museum with no lines. Better to see a small exhibit and enjoy it than to try to see everything in a giant museum and end up exhausted.
We finally visited the d'Orsay on our 4th visit to Paris last month. It is def more manageable in size than the Louvre, and lovely to see some of the great works of art in person. We ended up being there on the Thurs evening it was open...now, it was April, but there wasn't much for crowds. But then again, I don't know what it's like thru the day during summer months.
We've done parts of the Louvre twice - it is more than paintings and sculptures, tho that is much of it. We also revisited the Louvre last month, and did go to see some of the famous works again, but also went to the wing with the decorative arts - beautiful furniture, exquisitely decorated snuff boxes, tea cups, crown jewels...there is an Egyptian wing also, amongst others.
I'm not an 'art' person either. After 90 min in a museum, I'm ready to pull my hair out. I'm not into art theory, and won't stand there for ten minutes gazing with rapture upon a painting. But, we also did the Rijksmuseum last month, and I finally found a way to enjoy paintings. I look at the small details. Like the folds in the clothing. The delicate jewels...the brushstrokes. I'll look for something that makes me laugh - like one painting of a naked Adam and Eve, and the look on the faces of the animals - like - Adam, put on some clothes! Or the 'v for victory flashing' buff baby Jesus in one painting - he had more abs that some bodybuilders! Or looking at the insects - the bumblebees and butterflies in a still life painting, the small details. So I actually found by doing that, it heightened my enjoyment - I know, it's ridiculous, but it's the little things. I've stared at many paintings, but this was the first time I really...enjoyed...it by any means. So that could be a way for your wife to enjoy a museum visit.
"I know, it's ridiculous"
Nicole, it's not ridiculous at all. In fact, that is exactly what my high school art appreciation teacher told us to do. She said you don't have to love art to appreciate art, so look for the things in a work of art that you can appreciate. And anything that makes a museum visit fun is ok.
And to address the OP's question, my favorite museums in Paris were the d'Orsay, the l'Orangerie, the Cluny (Musee national du Moyen Age), and the Carnavalet (which is temporarily closed).
Nancy - I wish I had figured that out about myself years ago...lol. Would have made museum visits much more fun. :)
Or the 'v for victory flashing' buff baby Jesus in one painting - he
had more abs that some bodybuilders!
Nicole, you've just given me the best laugh of the week! It's hysterical how so many painters could turn out glorious Madonnas all day but hardly ANY of them could produce a decent Baby Jesus? I've actually started a collection of "Bad Baby Jesus" snaps. This one at Alte Pinakothek in Munich (not my snap but I took one) is in that group:
https://www.wikiart.org/en/lucas-cranach-the-elder/virgin-and-child-with-st-anne
Click on it to enlarge: the expression on Mary's face is, " Dear God, you 'blessed' me with THIS?"
That baby is in desperate need of a shunt.
Kudos to you for finding your own way of appreciating art!
Kathy, now you've given me a good laugh. I say Mary's thinking - "eew, I should have put a diaper on this kid".
Love it. Luckily, I took photos of the info card, so I would know who to give credit to on the FB posts, so here are links...
http://www.wga.hu/html_m/v/vermeyen/holyfami.html. (Kathy, feel free to add this to your collection).
https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/SK-A-129 (I feel like the dog really wants Adam to put some underoos on...I'm easily amused).
Ew, Nicole! That is a Baby Jesus on Steroids.
Love it: added to the collection.
I would add my recommendation for Orsay. And a key to seeing it is to start at the top...go straight to the 5th floor with the likes of Monet and Degas and then proceed to the 2nd to see the Van Gogh. Doing it this way will ensure that you see the greatest works there and if the museum still piques your interest after that, you can proceed elsewhere.
And then, like as been said, make sure to just taking in the views of the central hall. Much of the intrigue of this museum is the building itself. Take time to take in the views of Paris from behind the clocks.
Also, the Lourve is much the same for me. I spend more time looking at the architecture than the art and marveling over the fact that they used to ride horses in the great hall due to it's size.
If you like Monet and his water lilies, the Orangerie makes for a good succinct museum visit.
If you like Monet and the Impressionists, consider Marmottan for a small manageable, quiet museum with an exquisite collection and, the perk of having a charming park next door. D'Orsay is busier but is incredible and pretty central with nice dining options to take a break. I love the Louvre but suggest you will find it daunting. Have a great tiime!
