Orsay

The Musee d'Orsay, displaying art from the second half of the nineteenth century, is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, built by Victor Laloux for the World Fair of 1900. The profuse and constantly changing light, entering via Laloux's large metal vault, means that sculpture has been given pride of place rather than more light-sensitive works. Millions of visitors have surged into the concourse since the museum opened in December 1986, enjoying and perhaps being surprised by works emerging from a long period in purgatory. A considerable quantity of the nineteenth century sculpture had been consigned to museum cellars, government office corridors or other even less salubrious places as a result of changing tastes in the first half of the twentieth century. The museum recreates part of the former Luxembourg collection of nineteenth century works, and recent purchases have been carefully chosen so that visitors can be presented with a complete story of sculpture in the period. This book, alone of its kind, brings together 150 of the Musee d'Orsay's finest works. The objects are grouped together by movement, such as Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Impressionism.
In addition, two of the collection's leading lights - Carpeaux and Rodin - are featured individually.