Musee d'Orsay

I forgot to post my pictures of the Orsay from last week!

What with school starting and the amount of books I've been carting around, I haven't been taking my camera with me much, so yesterday was the first time I had a chance to download the pictures.

The Orsay is one of my favorite museums because of the great display of the impressionist painters. But I also love the sculptures that are displayed along the main corridor of the lowest level.

'Eve After the Fall' has got to be one of my favorite sculptures of all time. I love the lines of the sculpture and Eve's expression.

You can actually see her sadness and shame in her expression and her body language. I think her eyes convey so much.

I also really love this sculpture. I don't remember what it's called, but don't you think she's just magnificent?

This sculpture, called 'The Young Martyr,' is also really beautiful.

Also on the lowest level of the museum there was a little exhibition about the Opera house. Underfoot (we were walking on thick glass tiles over the top) was a layout of the area of Paris surrounding the Opera house, and then up on display tables nearby there was a scale model showing the theater and all of the backstage areas where all of the backdrops are stored so they can simply be lifted up from the floor or lowered from above to set the scene.

Another favorite sculpture of mine, found up by the Impressionist paintings, is 'La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans' (The Little 14-year old dancer) by Degas.

Then, of course, there is always the talented Mr. Van Gogh, whose 'Still Life, Roses and Peonies' brings a smile to my face.

I also really love his 'Church at Auvers.' I just love impressionism altogether, frankly. I love that it doesn't try to duplicate reality, but the feelings and impressions of the artist become so much a part of the work.
Near Seurat's 'The Circus' (of which this is a detail. And now that I look at it more closely, a rather creepy-looking detail. Sorry for anyone who has issues with clowns.)...

... I found a painting I really enjoy by an artist I don't know at all. I'm no art historian, so I really only know the very famous artists. Please forgive if I should have known who this person is before now. In fact, I think I noticed this painting a couple of years ago when my family came to the Orsay, but I have since forgotten Henri Edmond Cross. Sorry, Henri. 'Les Cypres a Cagnes' is lovely.

I took a few other pictures, but these were the real highlights for me. I spent maybe an hour and a half at the Orsay. Because I felt like I had been here so recently, I didn't spend too much time (and it seemed like a lot of their impressionist pieces were out on loan).