From the Louvre to the Musée d’Orsay, Paris is overflowing with spectacular museums. Yet one gem had eluded me, despite walking past it countless times in the Jardin des Tuileries: Musée de l’Orangerie.
This particular trip to Paris came about unexpectedly. My uncle and aunt were celebrating her birthday in the city and invited Victor and me to join them. We thought, why not? It had been over a decade since Victor’s last visit, and we both jumped at the chance. As I quickly scribbled out a list of must-dos, one name topped it immediately: the beautiful Musée de l’Orangerie.
We headed there early on a Saturday morning, eager to finally experience it.
L’Orangerie is a breath of fresh air, especially after visiting so many sprawling, ornate museums. In fact, I’d confidently place it among my favourites. The museum’s most famous feature is, of course, Monet’s Nymphéas (Water Lilies), displayed in two stunning oval rooms that are truly a marvel to behold.
What makes the experience so extraordinary is not just the artwork but the presentation. And presentation matters. It shapes how we connect with what we see. L’Orangerie excels here. The simplicity of the space, the natural light, the quiet, the curved walls, all draw your full attention to the immersive beauty of Monet’s works. It rivals the Monet room at MoMA in New York and perhaps even surpasses it.
That perfection is no accident. In 1922, Camille Lefèvre, the chief architect at the Louvre, designed the space specifically to house Monet’s large-scale paintings. With input from Monet himself, they created a setting filled with light, plain walls, and minimalist decor. It is the ideal environment to experience the subtle shifts and emotions in the Water Lilies.
Beyond Monet, L’Orangerie holds a stellar collection of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings. Artists featured include Cézanne, Matisse, Modigliani, Picasso, Renoir, Rousseau, Sisley, Soutine, and Utrillo, among others.
Honestly, I cannot imagine a better way to spend a Parisian morning. Wake early, stroll the quiet streets before the city springs to life, maybe pause for an espresso and a croissant. Wander through the gardens. Then, step into L’Orangerie and be utterly transported.
And a bonus for film lovers: if you happen to watch Midnight in Paris (as I did on a flight recently), you might catch a glimpse of L’Orangerie’s special cameo.
Up next: An afternoon at another Parisian favourite, Musée d’Orsay.
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[…] visit France without some sort of immersive Monet experience. The most intense of these is at the Orangerie museum, but the d’Orsay has so many works by Monet. One thing d’Orsay taught me about Monet was […]