Posted on by dennis

Paris – A Day at the Musée D’Orsay

While in Paris, I visited one of the many art warehouses, the D’Orsay. It is a large storage facility that attracts a sizable crowd during the day. In the olden days, people didn’t simply take a photo of a pretty person or scene. Instead, some pecked away with a hammer at a large rock, sometimes as big as a house, until it resembled a person or whatever. Others smeared colored grease on large bedsheets (the flat ones, not the fitted ones) to get a likeness. Seems like an awful lot of effort.

When you go, be sure to buy a timed entry ticket well before your desired visit date. Otherwise, you will stand in a very long line and get cranky.

The D’Orsay. Note the face of the clock is glass. Go inside and you can look a time backward!
The warehouse has a fine collection of picture frames, many highly ornamented like this one.
This frame has a central feature…I suppose you could call is a rosette?
Not all of the frames in the collection are pretentious. This one borders on the austere. Look closely and you will observe a casual approach to joinery, what with gaps, etc, in evidence.
A final selection, this frame shows the more modern approach, using a textured mat. Note the evenly beveled edge and clean corners. Admirable workmanship!
The warehouse also has a world class pedestal collection. Here’s a nicely carved one.
There are some works in progress; this pedestal is just scrap found in the workshop.
Management are to be congratulated for providing clear signage in English and other words.
The steps are a monument to French industrial design. The thin strips not only assist the visually impaired, but also reduce the potential of falls. Brilliant!
The central access corridor of the D’Orsay.

 

6 Replies to “Paris – A Day at the Musée D’Orsay”

  3. Do you relise this was once a railway station for the Paris to Orlean Railway. Look at the inscription below the clock.

  4. I love the picture of the central corridor. Adaptive reuse succeeded. The collection was loaned to the de Young to support a renovation. Your picture of the entry facade is also quite wonderful. In a future post, please tell us what camera you are using.

  5. I wish I could respond in French, that would seem so much more appropriate. The Musee D’Orsay is a comprehensive catalog of French art and culture thru the ages–quite an eclectic collection. Your attention to detail is amazing–you must have had some very early toilet training! Looking forward to catching up on your other postings now that we’re back in PS.

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