Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Philatelic Photograph: Musée d'Orsay - Paris, France

Interesting Places I've Photographed
Musée d'Orsay
Paris, France
Topic: Philatelic Phorographs

GPS: N48° 51.637; E 002° 19.542

Quick Description:

The Musée d'Orsay (Orsay Museum) a world class art museum located on the left bank of the Seine in central Paris.

Long Description:

The Musée d'Orsay is located in the former Beaux-Arts style Orsay railway station, which was designed by Laloux for the Universal Exhibition of 1900. The conversion of the station was done in 1979 by the ACT architecture group, comprised of M. Bardon, M. Colboc and M. Philippon. The great hall of the railway station is used as the main artery of the museum and the glass awning became the museum's entrance.

The building is 619' long, 246 wide and 104' high. The museum is organized on three levels. Galleries occupy the ground floor, terraces on the mid-level overlook the galleries, The upper floor is installed above the lobby and covers the length of the Quai and contains the restaurant. Exhibition spaces and different facilities are located throughout the three levels.

The Musée d'Orsay opened to the public on December 9, 1986 and features collections of art from 1848 to 1914 period. It is exhibits the world's largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings. The collection was formed with works coming mainly from three establishments: from the Louvre museum, for the works of artists born after 1820 or coming to the fore during the Second Republic; from the Musée du Jeu de Paume, which since 1947 had been devoted to Impressionism; and lastly from the National Museum of Modern Art, which, when it moved in 1976 to the Centre Georges Pompidou, only kept works of artists born after 1870. On average, over 3,000,000 visitors view the collection each year.

The stamp was issued on June 18, 2012 as a single stamp commemorating the Musée d'Orsay.

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