The Musée D'Orsay

Book excerpt: The Musee d'Orsay contains one of the most magnificent collections of 19th- and early 20th-century art in the world. Limited to the years between 1848 and 1914, the collection showcases Impressionist and Postimpressionist favorites by Monet, Renoir, Cassatt, Van Gogh, Seurat, and Signac. In addition, Realist, Nabis, Symbolist, and Fauvist movements are represented in works by Millet, Gauguin, Redon, and Matisse. The light-filled galleries are also ideal for viewing the sculpture. Works in other media include furniture, objets d'art, architecture, photography, jewelry, and glassware. This book's color plates depict many of the masterpieces, and the text traces the roots of the core collection within the context of developing and changing art trends.