Orsay Museum

“Starry Night Over the Rhône” by Vincent Van Gogh (1888)

• Painted by Vincent van Gogh on the bank of the Rhône River, which was only a minute or two’s walk from his rented Yellow House on the Place Lamartine.
• Van Gogh was fascinated by the challenge of painting at night at this time
• He positioned himself to capture the shimmering blue water of the Rhône River reflecting Arles’ gas lighting
• In the foreground, two lovebirds can be seen taking a romantic stroll down the riverbank.
• Vincent placed a high value on color depiction and regularly wrote to his brother Theo about the hues he used in his paintings.
• The sparkling colors of the night sky and the innovative artificial lighting of the time are brilliantly captured in Van Gogh night paintings, including in this ” Starry Night Over the Rhône “

“The Basin at Argenteuil” by Claude Monet ( c. 1872)

• Monet lived in Argenteuil from 1871 to 1878
• He painted numerous scenes of the Seine and its environs during this time
• “The Basin at Argenteuil” was completed by Monet in 1874
• This was the same year as the first Impressionist show in Paris
• Monet used choppy, irregular brushstrokes and complementary colours to imply movement and light
• The sky and reflections make up the bulk of the scene
• The ever-changing sky, swaying river, falling leaves, and floating yacht add to the impression of fleetingness

Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe/ Luncheon on the Grass by Édouard Manet (1863)

• The painting is called “Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe” or “Luncheon on the Grass”
• The painting features a naked young lady in the front,  another naked lady in the distance and two men are depicted in street clothes
• It caused controversy and was heavily condemned. The controversy arose not because of the nudity (common in French painting of the time), but because of its combination with the two men.

Dinner at the Ball by Edgar Degas (1879)

• Edgar Degas replicated Adolph Menzel’s “Dinner at the Ball” in his own painting.
• Menzel’s original painting was completed in 1878 and displayed in Paris the following year.
• Menzel was a German artist, and his painting was shown alongside other works by German artists.
• Degas likely found Menzel’s painting appealing due to its uplifting subject matter and impressive lighting effects.

The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer by Edgar Degas

• The sculpture depicted a contemporary subject, which was a student dancer at the Paris Opera Ballet.
• Edgar Degas started working on a sculpture of a young Belgian dancer named Marie van Goethem in the 1880s.
• Marie was a student at the Paris Opera Ballet Academy.
• The sculpture was unique because it was essentially a wax figurine clothed in genuine clothing.

Dance in the Country by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1883)

• The artwork is dominated by the life-sized figures of the two dancers, but a table, a hat, and two faces lying on the floor are visible in the right background.
• The woman in the painting holds a fan in her right hand and smiles directly at the camera.
• Renoir painted a companion piece called Dance at Bougival in the same year.

Olympia by Édouard Manet (1863)

• The artwork depicts a naked woman named “Olympia” resting on a bed.
• In the painting, a servant brings Olympia flowers.
• Models Victorine Meurent and Laure portrayed Olympia and her servant.
• Olympia was initially shown at the 1865 Paris Salon.
• The painting shocked viewers at the time due to Olympia’s threatening stare and the indication that she was a prostitute.

Blue Waterlilies by Claude Monet (1916-1919)

• This was one of Monet’s favorite subjects.
• Monet had a garden and a small pond on his property where he cultivated these plants. This space was a source of inspiration for him.
• The square format of the canvas and the absence of a frame convey a sense of infinity.

The Clock

• The massive and still-working clock and six sets of bronze allegorical sculptures decorate the interior square.
• The famous Louvre clock is 24 feet in diameter
• The side facing the Seine and the Louvre and the side facing the Tuileries Garden have clocks incorporated into the building’s design
• The centre of the Louvre clock is constructed of glass
• Visitors may take in the beautiful view from the museum’s rooftop observation deck