Galleries and Museums of Paris

Every time I travel, whether it’s to a small town or a big city, I always make a beeline for the nearest gallery or museum. I love them all, from the big fancy ones, down to the weird little regional ones.

In 2023 my family and I spent a month in Europe, including a couple of days in Paris. I’ve visited Paris a few times, and I always enjoy myself. I love the city. (I love France in general.) It would take forever to see all that Paris has to offer, and I hope one day I can have an extended stay there, just so I can soak up a bit more of the art and culture.

Louvre

In 2023 we decided to visit the Louvre, because my husband and daughter hadn’t been, and I do think it’s a place you have to see once in your life if you can. It’s mind-boggling big. It’s overwhelming. It’s crowded. It’s impossible to find your way through it, even with a map (we got lost several times). I highly recommend visiting with the knowledge that you will be driven mad by tourists and likely want to scream and/or punch someone. That’s generally my attitude to travelling: anticipate the worst and you’ll be fine. On this trip, I wanted to see a particular group of Egyptian artefacts that I’d studied in an archaeology class at university, and was very happy that I got to have a look at them. The ancient Egyptian collection is impressive, however looted it may be.

You can see the Mona Lisa but you can’t really see it. We did a drive-by, where you catch a glimpse before moving on to more interesting and less crowded rooms. You can’t get close to her anyway, as she’s behind glass, and you have to stand several metres back, and not look too suspicious in the eyes of the guards. Plus, it’s a small painting. You can, however, get relatively close to some of the great sculptures they have, such as The Winged Victory of Samothrace, and Venus without her limbs, because they’re so big and placed up above the crowds. Winged Victory is particularly impressive.

The painting collection is also jaw-dropping. You have great French artists like Théodore Géricault, Eugène Delacroix and Jacques-Louis David, and there are so many Italian masters that you’ll be utterly sick of the sight of them by the time you leave. But that’s okay, because if it’s a nice day you can buy yourself a sandwich and collapse in the Jardin de Tuileries before stumbling back to your hotel.

Centre Pompidou

For a change of pace we also visited the Pompidou, which I saw as a child in the 80s and had always wanted to return to (the escalators made an impression on me). Such a different experience than the Louvre. When we went, most of the other visitors were locals, which gave it a much more relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. The Pompidou has a fantastic collection of modern art, with pieces by artists such as Vassily Kandinsky, Marc Chagall and Piet Mondrian. It’s known as the building with its insides on the outside, and is a work of art in itself. We were there on a lovely Spring day with clear skies, and from the top of the building the view over to Montmartre is stunning.

My daughter and I outside the Pompidou Centre. Photo by Tess Corbel.

Musée de l’Orangerie

This museum holds Monet’s darker waterlily paintings, in wonderful shades of blue. When you think of his waterlilies, you probably picture bright colours, but I absolutely prefer these ones. They are murky and mysterious and gorgeous. My husband and I visited l’Orangerie a while ago, and it’s a lovely, serene experience compared to other galleries.

Musée d’Orsay

This museum is housed in an old train station, and has a large clockface on one side. You can stand behind the clockface on the inside of the building, and block everyone who’s trying to get a good shot of it for Instagram (yes, I like to get in the way of people’s photos. Can’t help myself). It’s a beautiful space, because the main area is large and airy, and then there’s galleries off the sides. You’ll find all your favourite Impressionists here, but I also really loved the decorative arts and sculptures — there are some gorgeous Art Nouveau pieces, which you’d expect in Paris.

The interior of the Musee d'Orsay in Paris, France. — Photo by Şelale Kıroğlu on Unsplash

Musée Rodin

I absolutely adore sculpture gardens, and the Rodin museum is a wonderful example. The Thinker sits outside on his pedestal, along with other pieces such as Monument to the Burghers of Calais. Inside the house you’ll find The Kiss and more of Rodin’s work. The gardens are lovely, with sculptures hiding in various places. My favourite was this one, which looked like a guy DJing:

This is actually *Monument to Victor Hugo*, and I apologise to both Hugo and Rodin, but he really looks like he’s spinning discs. Photo by Tess Corbel.

You can probably tell I like having fun at galleries and museums, and am always on the lookout for things that make me laugh as much as things that move me. Part of the joy of visiting these places is finding the strange and odd as well as the beautiful.