Monet in Paris

A big part of travel is immersing one’s self into the cultural history of the locales we visit.This is the beginning of a series of posts we hope to post  at least once or twice a month. It will highlight famous paintings shared in museums and galleries near the locations they depict. What better place to begin than in France.

Though closed until March 2nd, Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris is the home of Monet’s Water Lilies. Musée de l'Orangerie in Parnd is an art gallery dedicated to impressionist and post-impressionist paintings. It is most famous housing is Claude Monet's magnificent series of murals, the "Water Lilies" (Nymphéas). The museum is in the west corner of the Tuileries Gardens next to the Place de la Concorde.

The Orangerie was originally built in 1852 as a greenhouse for orange trees, hence its name. It became a museum in 1927 and was specifically designed to exhibit Monet's Water Lilies. These enormous paintings cover entire walls of two oval rooms, providing an immersive experience that Monet intended to give visitors the sensation of being surrounded by his garden in Giverny a little over an hour away from the museum.

Besides Monet's masterpieces, the museum also features works by other renowned artists, including Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani, and Pablo Picasso.

If you're an art enthusiast or simply looking for a peaceful escape in the heart of Paris, the Musée de l'Orangerie is definitely worth a visit!