Guided Tour of the Musée d'Orsay - 2 hours - Art tour
Private d'Orsay tour
D'Orsay incredible collection of art is waiting for you in an enchanting building overlooking the Seine. In Orsay, you will find van Gogh, Monet, Cézanne, and so many more French masters waiting for you with your private Speaker guide.
1 - Skip the waiting
2 - Orsay qualified guides
2 - Orsay qualified guides
Skipping the waiting line in Orsay is only possible with a certified tour guide.
The musée will charge an additional fast-pass fee for the group.
2 - Orsay qualified guides
2 - Orsay qualified guides
2 - Orsay qualified guides
During the Orsay highlights, you will spend two hours with a Parisian guide-interpreter, fluent in English, major in Art History, passionate about Impressionism.
3 - Enjoy the Art
2 - Orsay qualified guides
3 - Enjoy the Art
D'Orsay is one of our favorite museums: Colorful, Diverse, Modern.
A tour of French masters for english-speakers
Our d'Orsay guided tour
Come with our guide on a 2-hours guided tour of the Orsay, where you can learn about the great French painters from the Impressionist school.
With a private tour guide, you’ll be able to:
1 - find the Masterpieces quicker to enjoy more the Art experience,
2 - appreciate the company of an articulate tour guide, Parisian local & fluent in English,
3 - start a discussion about Art history, ask us any question dynamically and get live factual answers from an accredited guide-Conférencier.
Skip to the most interesting parts
Because you’ll have a tour guide fluent in English and in French, you’ll be able to stop and dive in deep on any work of art that calls to you. Unlike the audio guide, this is a fully interactive experience — you get to have the tour you want!
Our guides are very passionate. We attend the latest exhibits of the Orsay Museum together !
Passionate guides for Orsay & Orangerie
A guided tour comes down to the ability of the guide.
And a member of my team is thriving to provide the best tour guide services for the Orsay and Orangerie Museums.
We have excellent English, a lifetime of experience in the city of Paris, and a deep background in Art of Painting, Pastels, Sculpture and Art Deco.
We take official guided tours at Orsay exhibits
The private guide has an extensive education in art history and continues this with ongoing exhibits, tours, classes in a variety of fields such as Impressionism and Modern Art.
We dont just repeat what we have memorized !
When you take one of our tours, you have a real person with art history expertise, who has serious qualifications and a friendly personality.
We continuously train each other, share tips, travel together, and find the best ways to deliver an unforgettable tour.
The guides can come pick you up at the Museum gates or at your Hotel in Paris, they can spend extra time with you, if needed.
And when you book the Orsay tour with us, you will have a constant contact directly with your guide. They are the one who schedules your tour, customizes everything to your needs, and sets up all the details. That kind of direct support means you’ll already be familiar with your tour guide once you set off to explore the Orsay Museum!
Navigate seamlessly
This staggering collection was gathered in the Gare d’Orsay — a former railway station that first opened in 1900.
In this preserved Beaux-Arts industrial maze, we will encounter art at every hidden corner and at every level, from a handful of the most pivotal artists in history.
Even though the Orsay collection changes and the hangings move from time to time, with us, we will prepare the tour ahead and explore flawlessly this huge jewel of Second Empire architecture !
Prepare your visit ahead
On your next trip to Paris, you simply can’t miss a guided tour of the Musée d'Orsay. Its massive collection, grand presentation, and wealth of masterpieces is unlike anything in the world!
What to expect in the Musée d'Orsay
The Musée d'Orsay boasts 6,000 works of art.
3,000 of these works are on permanent display.
Among the many pieces on offer at the Musée d'Orsay, you’ll find:
- painting
- sculpture
- photography
- furniture
Painters
Sculptors
Sculptors
- Vincent Van Gogh
- Claude Monet
- Eugène Delacroix
- Auguste Rodin
- Georges Seurat
- Henri Matisse
- Piet Mondrian
- Edvard Munch
- Paul Gauguin
- Pierre-Auguste Renoir
- Édouard Manet
- Mary Cassatt
- Paul Cézanne
- Gustave Courbet
- Gustave Caillebotte
- Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres
- Camille Pissarro
- Henri Rousseau
- Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
- Paul Signac
- James McNeill Whistler
Sculptors
Sculptors
Sculptors
- Camille Claudel
- Ernest Barrias
- Aristide Maillol
- Edgar Degas
- Auguste Rodin
- Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi
- Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux
- Antoine-Louis Barye
- Antoine Bourdelle
- Pompon François
- Jean-Antoine Watteau
- Jules Dalou
- Rembrandt Bugatti
The Paintings at Orsay Museum in Paris
Masterpieces
The Luncheon on the Grass (1863) by Édouard Manet
Gleaners (1857) by Jean-François Millet
The Orsay is the single greatest collection of paintings from the pivotal years of 1848 to 1914.
It is during this time that the Impressionists revolutionized painting and the post-Impressionists pushed things even further.
Visiting the Musée d'Orsay takes you into the colorful world of Monet and van Gogh — a swirl of color and exciting ways to paint. Everywhere you look is another masterpiece that you’ve been waiting your entire life to see in person.
Gleaners (1857) by Jean-François Millet
The Luncheon on the Grass (1863) by Édouard Manet
Gleaners (1857) by Jean-François Millet
Believe it or not, this painting was highly controversial when it debuted at the Paris Salon.
Why?
Because for the first time, a great artist showed us peasants in all their humanity. Their hard lives are brought to audiences with the same sense of heroism that a historical painting might have. And more than 150 years later, their struggles and triumphs are still palpable.
The Luncheon on the Grass (1863) by Édouard Manet
The Luncheon on the Grass (1863) by Édouard Manet
Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette (1876) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
This painting almost single-handedly launched modernism.
Manet broke through the French Academy’s centuries-long control of art with this wild painting that featured a never-before-seen style. Rather than focus on exacting detail, it captures a feeling with tremendous freedom. Manet had no time for specifics, he was grasping at the real essence. It would take decades for the art world to catch up.
Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette (1876) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette (1876) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette (1876) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
This painting gives us the height of Impressionism.
See how Renoir creates so much atmosphere with the dappled lighting coming in through the trees.
The canvas radiates with the joy of good times spent outside on a beautiful day, dancing and carrying on in the Paris of the early Belle Époque. This is the French joie de vivre captured by one of its most talented sons.
Bedroom in Arles (1889) by Vincent van Gogh
Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette (1876) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Bedroom in Arles (1889) by Vincent van Gogh
Van Gogh’s series of paintings featuring his Arles bedroom are some of his most famous images.
In this one, he’s changed the paintings on the wall to the right to feature some of his recent work. He also made this one much smaller in an effort to actually sell one of his pieces (he only ever sold one in his life). It is always a shock to see this in person and take in the bizarre world created by one of the greatest to ever pick up a brush.
Haystacks Series (1890-91) by Claude Monet
Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette (1876) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Bedroom in Arles (1889) by Vincent van Gogh
Captivated by the way his neighbor’s hay stacks caught the ever-changing light, Monet painted them 30 different times.
These are a masterclass in evoking the impression of the moment — the play of light and atmosphere on each other. And the Musée d'Orsay has the largest collection of his Haystacks in the world. This only scratches the surface of all the other Monet in store at the museum!
Large-format works
A Burial at Ornans (1849-50) by Gustave Courbet
A Burial at Ornans (1849-50) by Gustave Courbet
A Burial at Ornans (1849-50) by Gustave Courbet
Courbet rejuvenated French painting by capturing this funeral held in the quiet, rural town of Ornans — the same provincial village the artist was born and raised in. Though it was far from a grand interment for a king, Courbet insisted on presenting everything with dignity and masterful artistry. That approach turned the idea of what deserved to be painted on its head.
The Painter’s Studio (1855) by Gustave Courbet
A Burial at Ornans (1849-50) by Gustave Courbet
A Burial at Ornans (1849-50) by Gustave Courbet
Here Courbet returns to the large format to give us an allegory of the artist’s life. He sits in his Ornans studio, surrounded by specters of French life and its social system.
In this one painting, you get a snapshot of an entire culture — one that Courbet spent his entire career capturing on canvas.
Decadence of the Romans (1847) by Thomas Couture
Decadence of the Romans (1847) by Thomas Couture
Decadence of the Romans (1847) by Thomas Couture
Couture undertook this massive painting to give French art a jolt. He built it all around these words from the Roman poet Juvenal: "Crueler than war, vice fell upon Rome and avenged the conquered world…” Looking at these Roman revelers, we can feel the collapse of their empire beginning to stir amid the debauchery.
Decadence of the Romans (1847) by Thomas Couture
Decadence of the Romans (1847) by Thomas Couture
Because it is housed in such an enormous, incredible building, the Musée d'Orsay has the room to bring in paintings that absolutely tower over the viewer. These impressive achievements strike audiences with awe — and they are some of the most fun stops on a tour of the Orsay.
Sculptors in Orsay
The Gates of Hell (1977) by Auguste Rodin
The Four Parts of the World Holding the Celestial Sphere (1867) by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux
The Four Parts of the World Holding the Celestial Sphere (1867) by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux
While there are many bronze castings of this important sculpture, the Musée d'Orsay has the original plaster mold.
Among all the scenes and moments of drama in the piece, you can find the basis for many other famous sculptures, including: The Thinker, The Kiss, and Ugolino and His Sons.
If you are a Rodin fan, it’s a fun game to spot these works hiding among the chaos of Rodin’s Gates.
The Four Parts of the World Holding the Celestial Sphere (1867) by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux
The Four Parts of the World Holding the Celestial Sphere (1867) by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux
The Four Parts of the World Holding the Celestial Sphere (1867) by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux
This piece, commissioned by the great Baron Haussman, features incredible human likeness combined with the whimsy of mythological fantasy.
Carpeaux manages to bring everything to life. Once at the Jardin du Luxembourg, it is now safe in the grand hall of the Musée d'Orsay. There are many other jaw-dropping Carpeaux sculptures at the Orsay, too.
Liberty (1899) by Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi
Little Dancer Aged Fourteen (1881) by Edgar Degas
Little Dancer Aged Fourteen (1881) by Edgar Degas
This is a nine-foot version of the artist’s original Statue of Liberty — created as a gift from the French people to the American people in honor of the 100th anniversary of the US.
This smaller replica captures every detail, giving you a chance to see the sculptor’s work in a much more intimate way.
Little Dancer Aged Fourteen (1881) by Edgar Degas
Little Dancer Aged Fourteen (1881) by Edgar Degas
Little Dancer Aged Fourteen (1881) by Edgar Degas
Degas turned to the ballet as a source of inspiration time and time again. In this legendary sculpture, he captures the dignity and studied self-control of a dancer. He renders his subject with such humanity that she seems ready to leap into her next routine. His mixture of materials is also notable. The decision to use actual fabric was a radical notion at the time, and it changed sculpture forever.
Orsay museum origins in Paris
Making the new museum D'Orsay
The D'Orsay collection started taking its current form back in 1986 with the transfer of artworks from 3 other remarkable French museums: the Louvre, Musée du Jeu de Paume, and the former National Museum of Modern Art.
From a Train Station to the 7th world’s most famous museums
The building of the museum itself has its own historical significance in the Parisian city web. The original use of the building and the reason for its construction in the first place was related to the 1900’s World’s Fair and, more specifically, the transportation of the visitors to the venue’s space.
The mastermind behind the construction plan was architect Victor Laloux, who took care of the interior and exterior design. On the inside, the building emits the modern aesthetics of the late 1890s with luggage ramps and elevators and the elegant use of metal and glass, while a 400-room Hotel was also included to serve the accommodation needs of the visitors. On the outside, Gare d'Orsay was covered with limestone, a choice that reveals the architect's intention to integrate the building into the prestigious neighborhood, which included the Louvre palace as well.
Over time and due to technology advancing, the station ceased to be used and, therefore, closed in 1939, while, later on, it was used briefly at the end of World War II. It would take almost 30 years for the building to start gaining back its former life, this time, in even greater glory and magnitude. Some years later, in 1978, the former train station was designated a historic monument, a development, which showcases the importance of the building for the city of Paris.
In the 1980s, the ambitious plan to renovate the building started and the French architectural firm Philippon, Colboc, and Bardon, and Italian architect Gae Aulenti were put in charge of this mission.
Orsay train station remains
Orsay's Clock
Beaux-Arts architecture
Beaux-Arts architecture
In our days, the building’s history is still visible throughout its spaces. In more detail, remains of the old station can be seen in the Grand Nave and the Restaurant of the museum.
Beaux-Arts architecture
Beaux-Arts architecture
Beaux-Arts architecture
As a result, the museum’s history follows the history of the city of Paris, from the early 1900s to the outburst of World War I and II, and from the post-war era to the beginning of the 21st century.
The particularity of the permanent collection of Orsay
One of the biggest impressionist collection in the world
Even though the museum hosts a numerous series of artworks, its main draw is largely considered its priceless collection of Impressionist paintings, which is rightfully believed to be one of the finest in the world.
The oldest pieces of the permanent exhibition date back to the 19th century, starting from Ingres’ Neoclassicism, whose traditional line, meticulous shading and clean outlines revitalized classical Greek and Roman styles.
The Neoclassicists were succeeded by the movement of Romanticism, which drew attention to human creativity and emotions, as well as the complexity and omnipotence of nature. In the exhibition spaces of Musée d’Orsay, one has the opportunity to view in-person artworks by Romantic masters, such as Eugène Delacroix –the father of Romanticism- and Théodore Chassériau.
Slowly the high fictionality and idealization of romanticism gave its place to the down-to-earth approach of Realism, which shed light on an accurate and unembellished depiction of nature and contemporary life. Realists such as Gustave Courbet and Jean-François Millet are just a few of the artists, whose art can be found in the permanent exhibition of the museum.
In any case, the largest part of the collection is focused on Impressionism, making Musée d’Orsay’s stunning impressionist collection perhaps the most remarkable worldwide with Claude Monet, Pierre-August Renoir, Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, and Vincent Van Gogh being the most notable artists of the exhibition.
an Art Revolution !
Nonetheless, the museum has welcomed art from the beginning of the 20th century as well, and, as a result, visitors have the chance to gaze at artworks from a series of different art movements ranging from Symbolism, Art Nouveau and Fauvism to Abstract Art.
Can we combine the tour with the Louvre?
Live the abundant Art evolution in 4 hours
Live the abundant Art evolution in 4 hours
Live the abundant Art evolution in 4 hours
We can combine the Louvre and Orsay on certain days.
Visiting the Louvre and the Orsay in a single trip to Paris is every art lover’s dream!
The two museums are only a 15 minute walk away. And when you have the same guide for both, you can follow interesting threads from one to the other. There is no better way to get a complete view of a
We can combine the Louvre and Orsay on certain days.
Visiting the Louvre and the Orsay in a single trip to Paris is every art lover’s dream!
The two museums are only a 15 minute walk away. And when you have the same guide for both, you can follow interesting threads from one to the other. There is no better way to get a complete view of art history in a single day. That’s why this combination tour is the pinnacle of any trip to Paris.
Of course, I recommend to visit the Louvre first, then we go to Musée d'Orsay, it makes more sense for our Art chronology tour.
Moreover, the Louvre demands more time and energy, so it is nice to start there.
From Medieval to Impressionism
Live the abundant Art evolution in 4 hours
Live the abundant Art evolution in 4 hours
We will travel through time and see painters from Medieval ages starting a re-birth in European Art : Renaissance !
From Renaissance masters, to Baroque masters of Light, to Neoclassicism, Romanticism.
We will walk to Orsay to understand the junction between these different Art movements.
Practical information
Live the abundant Art evolution in 4 hours
Understand impressionism revolution in history of Art
The Louvre opens at 9am, before the Orsay museum.
You can walk to the Orsay museum (15 minutes walk) and take a break at a bakery/café, then start the visit at 11am, then lunch in the nice area of Pont Neuf.
Avoid Mondays and Tuesdays for the combo tour as the Louvre is always closed on Tuesdays and Orsay is always closed on Mondays.
Understand impressionism revolution in history of Art
Understand impressionism revolution in history of Art
Understand impressionism revolution in history of Art
A bunch of new artists are the mirror of the changes that occurred in life in Europe at the end of the century.
The western society being modernized, many industrial innovations took place: the paint tube is created!
The progress in technology reshaped the lives of Europeans and their perception : people felt a lot of changes in their work
A bunch of new artists are the mirror of the changes that occurred in life in Europe at the end of the century.
The western society being modernized, many industrial innovations took place: the paint tube is created!
The progress in technology reshaped the lives of Europeans and their perception : people felt a lot of changes in their work, we felt new overwhelming emotions, between hope and despair, and women felt more liberated.
This wave of liberation from these "old rules" occurred also in art, in the second part and end of the 19th century.
Monet, Manet, Renoir, Pissarro or Degas will change the rules of art, and create a new style in painting, soon followed by the sculptors like Carpeaux and Rodin.
These artists were considered very modern (or maybe too modern) for their time, and they’ll have to persist to be recognized in a world that was still afraid of change.
Modernity
Understand impressionism revolution in history of Art
Qualified tour guide & Major in Art History
We will understand why these masterpieces of D'Orsay considered today the greatest influence on modern Art : Seurat, Whistler’s mother by Whistler, Little dancer of fourteen years (by Degas), Bal du Moulin de la Galette (by Renoir), The poppy field near Argenteuil , and some Water Lilies (by Monet), as well as the great work of the expres
We will understand why these masterpieces of D'Orsay considered today the greatest influence on modern Art : Seurat, Whistler’s mother by Whistler, Little dancer of fourteen years (by Degas), Bal du Moulin de la Galette (by Renoir), The poppy field near Argenteuil , and some Water Lilies (by Monet), as well as the great work of the expressionist artists, like Vincent Van Gogh, Starry night, the Bedroom in Arles, and one of his most famous Self-portrait are in the program.
Qualified tour guide & Major in Art History
Understand impressionism revolution in history of Art
Qualified tour guide & Major in Art History
An experienced tour guide with a great passion for Impressionist art will help you navigate through a museum as deep and wonderful as this one and get the best out of your visit in a short time.
After years of roaming in the Louvre, in Orangerie museum, and Versailles, I am still astonished by the vividness and the genius of d'Orsay muséeu
An experienced tour guide with a great passion for Impressionist art will help you navigate through a museum as deep and wonderful as this one and get the best out of your visit in a short time.
After years of roaming in the Louvre, in Orangerie museum, and Versailles, I am still astonished by the vividness and the genius of d'Orsay muséeum.
I will be happy to share with you a moment in one of my favorite museums of Paris, and transmit to you my understanding of Modern Art and the reasons why I enjoy it everyday.
Skip the Line with a guided tour of Musée d'Orsay
Advantages of a Guide-Conférencier in Orsay
Your guided tour of the Orsay lets you skip the lines and get right to the art with a guide who can share all the fascinating stories behind each painting, sculpture, photograph, and piece of furniture.
Whether you know very little about art history or you know a lot, we make these works of art come alive.
With our tours, you can always expect:
● accurate facts
● quality presentation
● customizable tour
● Fluent English
Your Bespoke Art Tour of Orsay
Are you interested in special topics?
Dive deep with a guided tour that focuses on the stories, artists, and movements that you love most.
Van Gogh Tour
This experience focuses on the captivating artist that gave us so many memorable images. Though his lifetime was filled with tragedy and he was never able to witness the immense impact his art would have on the world, his paintings survive as a testament to the human spirit.
Impressionist Art Tour
While the Louvre might be much bigger, the Orsay has the most comprehensive collection of Impressionist art in the world.
Here, you can see the greatest achievements of the movement and trace its history as it turned the entire world of art upside down.
We can focus our tour on Monet and add the Musée Marmottan-Monet, which is also a great addition if you are in Paris and coming as a big fan of impressionism and Monet !
Pairing Orsay with Orangerie
Looking to expand your experience of art in the City of Lights? You can always pair a guided tour of the Orsay with Orangerie, this nearby museum may be relatively small compared to others, but it has a can’t-miss collection focused on the same era as the Orsay.
Its biggest claim to fame is its enormous series of water lily paintings by Claude Monet. The works fill a room that the artist specially designed for the series.
Book a custom guided tour of the Musée d'Orsay by email.
enjoy Orsay with a passionate guide
On your next visit to Paris, see the Musée d'Orsay on a guided tour with a qualified guide. Please make sure to reach out ahead of time by email.
Our spots are limited, and the schedule fills up quickly.