Brief reminder of Part 1 (without any mistake ).
Orsay station was built in the heart of Paris to compensate for the remoteness of Austerlitz station. Architect Victor Laloux wanted his ambitious project to reveal comfort and modernism in a sumptuous setting.
The interior reflected the modernisme of the time, both in terms of architecture and passenger accessibility. From 1900 to 1939, Orsay station was at the haed of the South-West France line. But from 1939 onwards, the station could no longer provide this major service as its platforms had became too short for trains whose cariages were increasing as well as the gradual electrification of the lines. As a result, the station was reduced to receiving suburbain trains. It was then used as a centre for sending parcels to prisoners during the war, then as a reception centre for prisoners during the Liberation. In 1973, the Direction des Musées de France planed to set up a museum in the Gare d ' Orsay to showcase all the art of the second half of the 19th century. In 1978, the building was classified as a historic monument, and was reconfigured between 1983 and 1986, respecting Victor Laloux ' s architecture and integrating its new vocation. On 1st December 1986, French President François Mitterrand inaugurate the new museum, which opened its doors on 9 December. Since its creation, the Musée d ' Orsay has continued its policy of acquiring the sketches, drowings, prints, notes, correspondence and sometimes the models that led to the completed project, making it possible to follow its developement.
Since opening its doors in December 1986, it has become one of the most visited museums in Paris, with an international reputation. It bring together works from the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. It has the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings in the world, with almost 1100, canvases and famous sculptures. |
