LIFE - Paris' Best Museums

Pompidou and Circumstance

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 03:00:00 EDT

The most famous exhibit at the Pompidou Centre modern-art museum is the building itself. The Pompidou “revolutionized museums, transforming what had once been elite monuments into popular places of social and cultural exchange, woven into the heart of the city," said the jury of the coveted Pritzker Award for architecture.

Big Head for Art at Pompidou

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 03:00:00 EST

Visitors enter the lobby of the Georges Pompidou Center in Paris. In its 32 years since opening, the Pompidou has seen 190 million people visit.

The Musee D'Orsay Presides Over the Seine

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 23:15:14 EDT

The Musee D'Orsay is home to some of the world's greatest collections of Impressionist art, including works by Monet, Degas, Renoir, and Cezanne.

Totally Tubular Art

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 11:21:41 EDT

Originally a railway station, the Musee d'Orsay was built in 1900 for the Exposition Universelle, but became obsolete by the late 1930s. In 1986, it had been renovated and reopened as a museum.

Time's on Your Side at the Musee D'Orsay

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 16:58:13 EDT

The Musee d'Orsay, a striking Beaux Arts building, houses works by Vincent van Gogh, Edgar Degas, Paul Cezanne, Claude Monet, Edouard Manet, James McNeill Whistler, Camille Pissarro, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, among others.

Honoring the Troops at Les Invalides

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:00:00 EST

France's military glory and history is on display at the complex of museums and monuments known as Les Invalides. Its main purpose initially was as a military hospital and retirement home for vets.

Napoleon's Tomb

Fri, 01 Jan 1960 03:00:00 EST

The biggest attraction at Les Invalides is the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte. In his will, Napoleon had asked to be buried "on the banks of the Seine, in the midst of this French people who loved me so much." But making it so was a long and politically tumultuous process.

The Pyramid at the Louvre

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 03:00:00 EDT

The Louvre Pyramid, designed by I.M. Pei, was built to handle the enormous number of visitors coming to the museum every day. Though the pyramid drew criticism for its futuristic look at first, it is now considered a Paris landmark.

A Room With Many Views

Fri, 02 Sep 2005 00:52:07 EDT

The building that houses the Louvre dates back to the 12th century, when it was a fortress by Philip Augustus. It was opened as a museum in 1793, on the first anniversary of the end of the monarchy.

Looking for Cubes at the Picasso Museum

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:00:00 EDT

The Picasso Museum came about thanks to a 1968 law in France that allows citizens to pay income taxes with works of art instead of money. It has over 3,000 of the master's pieces.

Rodin's Home and Works

Sat, 16 May 2009 03:00:00 EDT

The Musee Rodin was once his home -- he donated his entire collection of sculptures to France on the condition they turn the Hotel Biron, where he'd lived since 1908, into a museum dedicated to his work.

In the Garden With Rodin

Sat, 16 May 2009 03:00:00 EDT

Rodin's iconic works, like "The Thinker" and "The Kiss" are in his museum in Paris. It also includes a room dedicated to his onetime lover, muse, and fellow sculptor, Camille Claudel.

Taking in Le Palais de Tokyo

Fri, 25 May 2007 03:00:00 EDT

Le Palais de Tokyo opened in 2002 in an Art Deco building built in 1937. It houses contemporary art and is meant as a venue for experimental artists -- and is the only museum in Paris open till midnight.

Golden View From the Palais de Chaillot

Sun, 31 Dec 1995 03:00:00 EST

The Palais de Chaillot houses the Musee de l'Homme, which has a mission to define the human being in evolution, ethnology, and anthropology.

Fancier Than Your City Hall Hotel de Ville

Sat, 03 Sep 2005 07:38:24 EDT

The Hotel de Ville isn't just the administrative center of Paris, it also hosts works of art and pieces of history from Parisian history, and prides itself on promoting Paris' cultural heritage.

Big Names at Le Petit Palais

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 03:00:00 EST

Le Petit Palais was built in 1900 for the Universal Exhibition, and is home to the City of Paris Museum of Fine Art. It's got a wing for medieval and Renaissance works, and pieces by Jean Ingres, Eugène Delacroix, and Gustave Courbet.

Don't Touch the Art!

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 03:00:00 EDT

In the Cluny Museum of the Middle Ages, a hand approaches a pair of gold jewelry garnished with sapphires and pearls from the 13th century. Its original building was built in 1334, and includes the famous 15th-century tapestry The Lady and the Unicorn.