The Musee de l'Orangerie is situated on the right bank and surrounded by the Tuileries Gardens.
Our main reason for visiting is Monet's eight Water Lilies panels which are displayed four per room in two separate salons designed by Monet himself.
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Entrance to Monet's Water Lilies exhibit
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In spite of the crowd I was still able to take a photograph of the Water Lilies exhibit with hardly any people in the shot. It just took a little patience.
The overall effect of the water, lilies and willow trees is one of peaceful tranquility and my favourite details were the water lilies. He'd captured them beautifully.
Next, we headed downstairs to another exhibit room. This one featured Renoir and as a result I have a new found appreciation for his life's work.
Before our visit to the Musee de l"Orangerie I was familiar with his portraits, but not so much with his still life paintings. They are incredible. This green ceramic vases looked so real I could almost reach out and feel the soft texture of their glaze.
The strawberries were so lifelike I again felt the urge to reach out and pop one into my mouth.
Also featured were a great number of Renoir's nudes and portraits.
The next gallery featured Matisse and I immediately recognized three of the paintings he'd completed while living in Nice.
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| Women at the Sofa by Henri Matisse, painted 1921 |
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| Woman with Mandolin by Henri Matisse, painted 1921-23 |
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| Le Boudoir, Henri Matisse, painted 1921 |
Few women find themselves on an equal footing with men in the art world, but Marie Laurencin (b.1883 - d.1956) held her own while retaining her feminist sense of colour and design.
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Portrait of Madame Paul Guillaume by Marie Laurencin, painted 1924
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Trees and Houses by Paul Cezanne, painted 1885-86
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Picasso gallery
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The Musee de l'Orangerie is a small, but lovely gallery and I particularly enjoyed both Manet's Water Lilies and Renoir's paintings. This museum is well worth a visit AND if you happen to travel via the Eurostar from London to Paris tickets are priced 2-for-1. What a bargain!
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