Orsay Museum Highlights10 Must-See Masterpieces

Courbet's 1850 masterpiece scandalized Paris by depicting a rural funeral on a heroic scale. With 50 life-sized figures, it elevated common people to the status of history paintings. This gritty realism rejected Romantic idealism, launching a new artistic movement that championed everyday life.

More than a portrait, Whistler called this an "Arrangement in Grey and Black." Painted in 1871, its austere geometry and muted tones prioritize formal harmony over sentiment. It became an icon of motherhood, but for Whistler, it was a radical experiment in pure composition.

The scandal of 1865. Manet's nude stares back with confronting frankness, stripping away mythology to show a modern woman. Her direct gaze and the flat, stark painting style shocked critics but signaled the birth of modern art, challenging the academic tradition of the idealized nude.

A nude woman picnicking with dressed men—Manet's 1863 painting broke every rule. It merged classical references with modern Parisian life, confusing and angering the public. Its flatness and refusal to tell a clear story paved the way for Impressionism.

Monet captures a breezy summer day in 1873 with vibrant, loose brushstrokes. Figures dissolve into the landscape, becoming part of the atmosphere. It epitomizes the Impressionist goal: to capture the fleeting sensation of light and nature rather than precise detail.

Renoir's 1876 masterpiece vibrates with dappled sunlight and joy. Depicting a Sunday dance in Montmartre, it captures the energy of modern Parisian life. The soft, flickering light and fluid brushwork make the canvas feel as alive and moving as the dancers themselves.

Monet finds beauty in industrial smoke and steam. Painted in 1877, this work turns a noisy train station into a study of light and atmosphere. It represents the Impressionist embrace of modernity, seeing the poetry in the iron and glass of the new industrial age.

Caillebotte brings a cinematic eye to manual labor (1875). The dramatic perspective and realistic detail highlight the physical effort of the workers. Rejected for its "vulgar" subject, it combines the grit of Realism with the light and modern framing of Impressionism.

Van Gogh's intense gaze pierces through swirling blue turbulence. Painted in 1889 at the asylum, it is a testament to his resilience. The energetic, thick brushstrokes reveal his inner state, making this one of the most psychological and haunting self-portraits in art history.

Before the famous asylum "Starry Night," Van Gogh captured this serene view in Arles (1888). Gas lamps on the river bank rival the starlight, their reflections lengthening in the water. It’s a study in night light, radiating calm and cosmic beauty.