Musée de L'orangerie, Paris
Fujifilm X-S10, Pacific Blues
The Orangerie Museum, mostly known for Claude Monet’s Nymphéas, is one of Paris's most visited art spots. It is located at the top of Jardin des Tuileries, which in turn faces the Place de la Concorde and is situated 20 minutes walking from the Louvre museum.
We were queuing at 2 pm on a sunny day. Being used to the English weather this felt like an extravagant experience. With my sunglasses on (when do I get the chance to do that?) I let the sun's rays permeate my skin. My mood was only slightly tempered by the other tourists passing through the priority line. I remember a particular South Korean group (presuming the Northern ones can’t travel quite as freely) whose fashion sense was above all of us. Our tickets weren’t particularly expensive, about £11 give or take. However, paying and not having lockers to store items brought us to a bad start. Tote bags could not be safely stored, per security. We entered the museum.
You have two choices when you enter: up or down, blue or red. Choose your binary and choose wisely. On the lower floor, you will find a collection of artists, including Picasso. On the upper floor, Monet. We made the popular choice and went chasing the Nymphéas. But before that, we took our time reading the museum’s history–information that was readily snuffed from my mind by what followed.
It was paradise. I never truly understood the need for manipulated lighting in photography in combination with its natural counterpart. Now I do. I am no vlogger, lack the energetic predisposition, but we certainly share the same heaven. The pale light made everything appear dreamy and soft.
These rooms benefit from natural light from the glass roof and are arranged from west to east, following the course of the sun and one of the axes of circulation in Paris, along the Seine. The two ovals evoke the infinity symbol while the paintings unfold the cycle of light throughout a day.
The ovals room didn’t contain paintings as a normal museum does but instead, they were part of the room. Everything is built with the Nymphéas in mind. You don’t go room to room. The experience is circular, you’re pulled around. After the first lap, it was time to take the camera out.
You can observe the artwork from very close-up and from far off. Like the moon and sun, with a bit of distance, you can absorb the energy of these large paintings and from close you can analyse every intricate brush stroke.
The Orangerie Museum is a wonderful museum to visit on a date or out with family and friends. It is memorable despite not being the most extensive museum in Paris.
Have you ever visited le Musée de l’Orangerie? If so please share your experience!
Read Considerations Deliberations below:
Read Work-in-Past below:
