The Impressionists in Paris

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Impressionism

It was in Paris, in 1874, that the word "Impressionism" was first coined, and in Paris that the Impressionist painters came together. Since then their works have been dispersed to museums and private collections worldwide, yet a substantial number of major works of Impressionist painting remain to this day in the city in or near which they were painted. Paris is the best place in the world to discover the Impressionists, and their works can be seen in several locations across the city.

  Paris's Musée Marmottan Monet (address and opening times) contains the world's largest collection of Monets under a single roof;  the Musée  has a permanent display including a substantial collection of works not just by Monet, but by other major Impressionist painters, including  Degas, Manet, Renoir, Sisley, Pissarro, Gauguin, and Berthe Morisot. 

   Not far from the Eiffel tower, on the banks of the Seine, the Musée d'Orsay (address and opening times) is the Paris gallery with the greatest number of works by the Impressionists in general.  Housed in a former railway station, this museum, dedicated to the art of the 19th century,  now contains France's greatest collection of Impressionist and Post-impressionist art, with notable works by all the Impressionists, including Renoir, Manet, Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, Sisley, Pissaro and others.

   In addition to these two locations, there is the Musée de l'Orangerie (address and opening times), in the gardens of the Tuileries, within walking distance of the Louvre. This, which is home to a fine and huge set of Monet water lilies, as well as works by Renoir, Cézanne, Rousseau, Matisse, Picasso, Utrillo and others.

   Finally, not to be forgotten is the free Musée des Beaux Arts de la ville de Paris, the Paris city fine art museum, located just off the Champs Elysées, in the Petit Palais just round the corner from the Grand Palais, which has a section devoted to 19th century art, including works by Monet, Sisley and Pissarro. And it's free.

Useful tip: the Louvre and other state galleries are free to under-26s from the European Union. Proof of identity required. They are free to all on the first Sunday of each month.

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Locations, prices :

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Musée Marmottan: 2 rue Boilly, Paris 16. Metro line 9, station La Muette.
Open 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Closed on Mondays. Entrance (2022)  12 € at the door (queues likely) . Reduced rate: 8.50 €.  Advance tickets from € 13.50 can be bought online (print your own or load onto your phone) from different websites including Tiquets

Musée d'Orsay: rue de Lille, Paris 7. On the other bank of the Seine, almost opposite the Louvre. Metro solférino. Open 9.30 am to 6 pm Tuesday to Sunday. Late opening to 9.45 pm on Thursdays. Standard entrance (2022) : 16 €.  Under 18s free; EU citizens under 26 , free. (no reservation needed, just proof of status).  Advance skip the line tickets available from different vendors including Tiquets

Musée de l'Orangerie: Jardin des tuileries Place de la Concorde, Paris 1. Metro Concorde. Open 9 am - 6 pm except Tuesdays (closed). Entrance: € 12.50 : reduced rate 6.50 € . Advance skip the line tickets available from different vendors including Tiquets





Petit Palais - Musée des Beaux Arts de la ville de Paris. Avenue Winston Churchill, Paris 8.  Metro Champs Elysées. Entrance free


Map of selected hotels in Paris near the main monuments
(This map only features hotels that are well recommended by user reviews)

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