The Musée de l'Orangerie ( en, Orangery Museum) is an art gallery of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings located in the west corner of the

Tuileries Garden The Tuileries Garden (french: Jardin des Tuileries, ) is a public garden located between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. Created by Catherine de' Medici as the garden of the Tuileries Palace in ...

next to the

Place de la Concorde The Place de la Concorde () is one of the major public squares in Paris, France. Measuring in area, it is the largest square in the French capital. It is located in the city's eighth arrondissement, at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées. ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

. The museum is most famous as the permanent home of eight large ''

Water Lilies ''Water Lilies'' (or ''Nymphéas'', ) is a series of approximately 250 oil paintings by French Impressionist Claude Monet (1840–1926). The paintings depict his flower garden at his home in Giverny, and were the main focus of his artisti ...

'' murals by

Claude Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, , ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of impressionist painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. Durin ...

, and also contains works by

Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th-century conception of artistic endeavour to a new and radically d ...

Henri Matisse Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a drawing, draughtsman, printmaking, printmaker, and sculptur ...

, Amedeo Modigliani,

Pablo Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...

, Pierre-Auguste Renoir,

Henri Rousseau Henri Julien Félix Rousseau (; 21 May 1844 – 2 September 1910)
at the Alfred Sisley Alfred Sisley (; ; 30 October 1839 – 29 January 1899) was an Impressionist landscape painter who was born and spent most of his life in France, but retained British citizenship. He was the most consistent of the Impressionists in his dedicatio ...

Chaïm Soutine Chaïm Soutine (13 January 1893 – 9 August 1943) was a Belarusian painter who made a major contribution to the expressionist movement while living and working in Paris. Inspired by classic painting in the European tradition, exemplified by the ...

Maurice Utrillo Maurice Utrillo (), born Maurice Valadon; 26 December 1883 – 5 November 1955), was a French painter of the School of Paris who specialized in cityscapes. Born in the Montmartre quarter of Paris, France, Utrillo is one of the few famous pain ...

, and others.

Location

The gallery is on the bank of the Seine in the old

orangery An orangery or orangerie was a room or a dedicated building on the grounds of fashionable residences of Northern Europe from the 17th to the 19th centuries where orange and other fruit trees were protected during the winter, as a very lar ...

of the

Tuileries Palace The Tuileries Palace (french: Palais des Tuileries, ) was a royal and imperial palace in Paris which stood on the right bank of the River Seine, directly in front of the Louvre. It was the usual Parisian residence of most French monarchs, f ...

on the

near the Concorde metro station and not far from the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

and the Musee d'Orsay.

History

Name of the Musée de l'Orangerie above the door

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...

had the Orangerie built in 1852, to store the citrus trees of the

Tuileries The Tuileries Palace (french: Palais des Tuileries, ) was a royal and imperial palace in Paris which stood on the right bank of the River Seine, directly in front of the Louvre. It was the usual Parisian residence of most French monarchs, from ...

garden from the cold in the winter. The building was built by architect Firmin Bourgeois (1786-1853). Bourgeois built the Orangerie out of glass on the (south) Seine side to allow light to the trees but the opposite (north) side is almost completely windowless to protect the citrus trees from the cold winds. Before the Orangerie was built, the trees were stored in the Grande Galerie of the

. The main entrances on the east and west side of the building were decorated by architect

Louis Visconti Louis Tullius Joachim Visconti (Rome February 11, 1791 – December 29, 1853) was an Italian-born French architect and designer. Life Son of the Italian archaeologist and art historian Ennio Quirino Visconti, Visconti designed many Par ...

(1791-1853) who is also known for his renovations on the

. The columns located at the doors are topped by triangular pediments that were sculpted by Charles Gallois-Poignant. The tops of the columns represent cornucopias, plants and ears of corn that relate to the building's agricultural function. After the Fall of the Empire in 1870 and the fire at the

in 1871, the Orangerie became a property of the State, which continued to use the Orangerie in its original function as well as for public events such as music concerts, art expositions, contests and dog shows until 1922.

Monet's ''Water Lilies''

After

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, changes came to the Orangerie. In 1921, the State gave the building to the Under-Secretariat of State for Fine Arts along with another building, the

Jeu de Paume ''Jeu de paume'' (, ; originally spelled ; ), nowadays known as real tennis, (US) court tennis or (in France) ''courte paume'', is a ball-and-court game that originated in France. It was an indoor precursor of tennis played without racquets, a ...

. The goal for these two buildings was to provide a space for living artists to display their works. At the time,

(1840-1926) was painting a series of '' Water Lillies (Nymphéas)'' paintings for the State that were destined for another museum, the Rodin. The President of the Council,

Georges Clemenceau Georges Benjamin Clemenceau (, also , ; 28 September 1841 – 24 November 1929) was a French statesman who served as Prime Minister of France from 1906 to 1909 and again from 1917 until 1920. A key figure of the Independent Radicals, he was a ...

(1841-1929), wanted the paintings placed in the Orangerie instead. The ''Water Lillies'' donation to the Orangerie was finalized in 1922. Monet helped architect Camille Lefèvre with the architectural design in which eight panels, each two meters high and spanning 91 meters in length, are arranged in two oval rooms which form the infinity symbol. Monet also required skylights for observing the paintings in natural light. Due to the east to west orientation of the building the rooms are in the path of the Sun, which stretches along the same axis as the Arc de Triomphe to the

. Originally, the museum was inaugurated on 17 May 1927 as the Musée Claude Monet, a few months after the artist’s death. It was then annexed into the

Musée du Luxembourg The Musée du Luxembourg () is a museum at 19 rue de Vaugirard in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. Established in 1750, it was initially an art museum located in the east wing of the Luxembourg Palace (the matching west wing housed the Marie de' ...

and formally renamed the Musée National de l’Orangerie des Tuileries. Claude Monet - The Water Lilies - The Clouds - Google Art Project

Exhibits between 1930-1950

The Orangerie was joined with the Louvre in 1930. The western half of the Orangerie was dedicated to temporary exhibitions for the Louvre and other national museums in France. Each year, the Orangerie hosted a variety of exhibitions. From 1930-1933, the Orangerie hosted an exhibition on

impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

. In 1934, the exhibition ''Peintres de la realité'' (Painters of Reality) was dedicated to the 17th century and became famous. In 1936, the exhibition '' Rubens et son temps (Rubens and his Age)'' attracted a million visitors to the museum. There was an entire exhibition dedicated to

Degas Edgar Degas (, ; born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas, ; 19 July 183427 September 1917) was a French Impressionist artist famous for his pastel drawings and oil paintings. Degas also produced bronze sculptures, prints and drawings. Degas is espec ...

in 1937, titled in his name. In 1942, there was an exhibition dedicated entirely to Arno Breker, who was an official artist of the

Third Reich Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

and who studied in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. In 1946, after the end of

WWII World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, many masterpieces from private collections were recovered in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

by the French Commission for Art Recovery and the

Monuments Men A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, hist ...

and they were displayed in the Orangerie. The Orangerie and the

were allied with the Paintings Department of the Louvre. The

Réunion des Musées Nationaux The Réunion des Musées Nationaux (RMN) is a French cultural umbrella organisation, an établissement public à caractère industriel et commercial (EPIC), formed in 2011, through the merger of the Paris National Museums and the Grand Palais. It ...

organized successful exhibitions at the Orangerie between 1946-1960. The building of the

Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais The galeries nationales du Grand Palais (Grand Palais National Galleries) are museum spaces located in the Grand Palais in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. They serve as home to major art exhibits and cultural events programmed by the Réunion ...

in 1964 was due to the success of the exhibitions of the Orangerie.

The Jean Walter and Paul Guillaume Collection

The Jean Walter and

Paul Guillaume Paul Guillaume (1891 in Paris – 1934 in Paris) was a French art dealer. Dealer of Chaïm Soutine and Amedeo Modigliani, he was one of the first to organize African art exhibitions. He also bought and sold many works from cutting-edge artists of ...

collections were acquired in 1959 and 1963 respectively. Domenica Walter (1898-1977) was the widow of both Paul Guillaume (1891-1934) and Jean Walter (1883-1957). Paul Guillaume was an art dealer and his desire was to create a museum of French modern art that would be open to the public. When the State offered to show this collection at the Orangerie after his death, Domenica agreed. Olivier Lahalled (1960-1965) executed the renovation project to accommodate the new acquisition. The existing exhibition galleries were knocked down and two levels were added to the building. A staircase with a banister was designed by Raymond Subes (1893-1970) which replaced the entrance to the ''Water Lillies'' paintings and led to rooms that displayed the new collection. In 1966, the collection was publicly presented and inaugurated by the Minister of Culture,

André Malraux Georges André Malraux ( , ; 3 November 1901 – 23 November 1976) was a French novelist, art theorist, and Minister of Culture (France), minister of cultural affairs. Malraux's novel ''La Condition Humaine'' (Man's Fate) (1933) won the Prix Go ...

, however, Domenica officially owned the paintings until her death in 1977. There was a third renovation project conducted between 1978-1984 to consolidate the buildings, refurbish the rooms and permanently house the collection which was given to the Orangerie after Domenica’s death. The Orangerie then became separate from the administration of the

and the

, whose impressionist paintings would be destined for the future Musée d’Orsay.

Renovations between 2000-2006

The most recent renovation was made by Olivier Brochet between 2000-2006. The rooms that were previously constructed on two levels were knocked down and natural light was restored to the ''Water Lillies''. In order to display the Jean Walter and Paul Guillaume collection, rooms were dug out of the basement level. Temporary exhibition spaces, an auditorium, an education space and a library were also created. The renovations were delayed and changed after the discovery of remains of the Louis XIII wall which was constructed in 1566 to protect the

. The museum was reopened on May 17, 2006. In 2010 the Orangerie and the Musée d’Orsay were linked administratively under the Établissement public des musées d'Orsay et de l'Orangerie - Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (EPMO). On occasion, the Orangerie still hosts dance and piano concerts and other events in the restored ''Water Lillies'' gallery.

In popular culture

The Musée de l'Orangerie is the main story point of the 2000 French adventure PC game '' Monet: The Mystery of the Orangery''. The art gallery, specifically the ''Water Lilies'' paintings, was featured in

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

's 2011 film ''

Midnight in Paris ''Midnight in Paris'' is a 2011 fantasy comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen. Set in Paris, the film follows Gil Pender (Owen Wilson), a screenwriter, who is forced to confront the shortcomings of his relationship with his materialis ...

''.

Timeline

The official site of the Orangerie presents a full historical timeline.Musée de l'Orangerie.
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References

Bibliography

* Georgel, Pierre (trans. from the French by John Adamson) (2006). ''The Musée de l'Orangerie'' Paris:

Éditions Gallimard Éditions Gallimard (), formerly Éditions de la Nouvelle Revue Française (1911–1919) and Librairie Gallimard (1919–1961), is one of the leading French book publishers. In 2003 it and its subsidiaries published 1,418 titles. Founded by Ga ...

Réunion des musées nationaux The Réunion des Musées Nationaux (RMN) is a French cultural umbrella organisation, an établissement public à caractère industriel et commercial (EPIC), formed in 2011, through the merger of the Paris National Museums and the Grand Palais. It ...

* Hoog, Michel (trans. by Jean-Marie Clarke) (1989, reprinted 2006). ''Musée de l'Orangerie, les Nymphéas of Claude Monet'' Paris: Réunion des musées nationaux * “2000-2006: a New Museum.” ''2000-2006: a New Museum , Musée De L'Orangerie'', 2019, www.musee-orangerie.fr/en/article/2000-2006-new-museum. * “The Acquisition of the Jean Walter and Paul Guillaume Collection.” ''The Acquisition of the Jean Walter and Paul Guillaume Collection , Musée De L'Orangerie'', 2019, www.musee-orangerie.fr/en/article/acquisition-jean-walter-and-paul-guillaume-collection. * “The Building from the Second Empire to the Water Lilies.” ''The Building from the Second Empire to the Water Lilies , Musée De L'Orangerie'', 2019, www.musee-orangerie.fr/en/article/building-second-empire-water-lilies. * “Chronology.” ''Chronology , Musée De L'Orangerie'', 2019, www.musee-orangerie.fr/en/article/chronology. * “The Installation of the Water Lilies.” ''The Installation of the Water Lilies , Musée De L'Orangerie'', 2019, www.musee-orangerie.fr/en/article/installation-water-lilies. * Madeline, Laurence. ''La Collection Walter-Guillaume Et Les Nymphéas De Monet: Musée De L'Orangerie''. Nouvelles Éditions Scala, 2017. * “Major Exhibitions at the Musée De L'Orangerie from the 1930s to the 1950s.” ''Major Exhibitions at the Musée De L'Orangerie from the 1930s to the 1950s , Musée De L'Orangerie'', 2019, www.musee-orangerie.fr/en/article/major-exhibitions-musee-de-lorangerie-1930s-1950s.

External links

*
Musée de l'Orangerie

360 degree view of Monet's ''Water Lilies''
provided by Google Arts & Culture
Virtual tour of the Musée de l'Orangerie
provided by Google Arts & Culture {{DEFAULTSORT:Musee de l'Orangerie Orangerie, Musee de l National museums of France Buildings and structures in the 1st arrondissement of Paris Art museums established in 1927 1927 establishments in France