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An Artists Trip to Paris

Ahhh Paris, the City of Light. One of the most romantic and artistic places on earth. The perfect city for an Artists’s trip to Paris! The city houses some of the most famous artwork in the world including artwork by Pablo Picasso, Edgar Degas, Auguste Rodin, Claude Monet, and many more. Today, you can find many of their famous works at the various art museums and galleries around Paris. Other great artsy things to do include a visit to Montmartre, the cities famous Artists haven, an architecture tour of the city on the Seine, and a day trip to the Palace of Versailles, which is a work of art itself. With so much amazing Art to see in Paris, let this post be your guide! Below I will outline some of the top art museums in Paris and a few other fun artsy things to do around the city! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Affiliate links are used, which means if you purchase via my link I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you! I only recommend products I use and love

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Author Note: While studying abroad in the UK as an art student, I had the opportunity to visit Paris for a long weekend and explore some of these amazing art museums and artsy areas of the city. Since then, I have been back to Paris twice to experience all that this amazing city has to offer!

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The Louvre

The first must-see art museum in Paris is, of course, the Louvre! This museum is the largest in the world, housing over 38,000 objects over 782,000 square feet. Located on the right bank of the Seine within Paris’s 1st Arrondissement, The Louvre receives almost 10 million visitors per year. Built in the late 12th century, the building was used by the French Kings to hold their court and households before moving out to the Palace of Versailles. The Louvre has a large collection of french, greek, and roman artwork dating back almost 2500 years ago. Some of the most famous works of art housed at the Louvre include

• The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci (painting)
• Winged Victory of Samothrace (sculpture) (originally located in Lindos, Greece)
• Death of the Virgin by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (painting)
• Liberty Leading the People by Eugene Delacroix (painting)
  The Dying Slave by Michelangelo (Sculpture)
• Aphrodite of Milos by Alexandros of Antioch (painting)
• Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss (sculpture)
• The Seated Scribe

Tickets and Admission:

Online purchase: 17 Euros plue quick entry (less than 30 minutes)

Purchase at the Museum: 15 Euros but you have to wait in line

They also offer guided and audio tours to help you get the most out of your experience at the Louvre.

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Musée d’Orsay

Located on the Left Bank of the Seine, the Musée d’Orsay houses an extensive collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artwork. Including artwork by famous artists like Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, and Van Gogh. The building itself is the former Gare d’ Orsay a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum gets roughly 4 million visitors per year. The Musée d’Orsay also has a gift shop, cafe, and book store. Some of their most famous works include:

• Starry Night, Vincent van Gogh
• Small Dancer Aged 14, Edgar Degas
• Apples and Oranges, Cezanne
• Blue Water Lilies, Monet
• Bal du Moulin de la Galette, Pierre-August Renoir
• Olympia, Edouard Manet

Tickets and Admission:

Tickets are 16 Euros for the general public

Reduced rate tickets are 13 Euros for those under 18 or residing in the European Union

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Centre Pompidou

This extremely modern building, Centre Pompidou houses the Public Information Library and the Musée National d’Art Moderne which is the largest collection of modern art in Europe. Located in Paris’s 4th Arrondissement, the museum sees roughly 5 million visitors per year and opened in 1977. The designers of the building were Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers, and Gianfranco Franchini and it is named after the French President Georges Pompidou who commissioned the project. From the top of the building, visitors can enjoy views of the Paris skyline including the Effiel Tower! The complex has the usual places to eat, shop, and of course, an audio-guided tour. They also have a fantastic kids gallery space designed just for those 16 and under. As part of their collection of artwork, the Centre Pompidou houses some famous works of art such as:

• The Violinist at the Window by Henri Matisse, 1918
• Fountain by Marcel Duchamp, 1917
• Hotel by Sophie Calle, 1981-1983
• Self-Portrait in Drag by Andy Warhol, 1986
• Outgrown by Thomas Hirschhorn, 2005
• Untitled, Mark Rothko
• Number 26 A, Black, and White, Jackson Pollock

Ticket and Admissions:

Centre Pompidou has fairly complex ticket options so I am going to refer you to their official website- here!

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Musée Rodin

The Musee Rodin opened in 1919 primarily to display the works of Auguste Rodin and today houses almost 30,000 pieces of sculpture, photography, drawings, and other art pieces. The museum itself actually has two locations to house its collection of work. Hôtel Biron and its surrounding gardens are located in Paris as well as just outside Paris at Rodin’s old home, the Villa des Brillants at Meudon, Hauts-de-Seine. Some of the museums most famous pieces include:

• The Thinker, Auguste Rodin
• Monument to Balzac, Auguste Rodin
• The Kiss, Auguste Rodin

Tickets and Admission:

Tickets to the museum and gardens are 13 Euros

Add the Audio guide (recommended!) for 6 Euros more

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Musée d’art moderne de Paris

Located in Paris’s 16th Arrondissement, the Musée d’art moderne de Paris (MAM) houses a large collection of 20th and 21st-century artwork including large-scale murals by Raoul Dufy and Henri Matisse.   The museum opened in 1961 and was reimagined by H20 Architects in 2010. The lovely pool of water in front of the building offers a nice place to sit and relax. It has also has been the place of many art installations throughout the museum’s history. Some of the famous works of art housed at the Musée d’art moderne de Paris include:

• Femme aux Yeux Bleus by Amedeo Modigliani
• La Fée Electricité by Raoul Dufy
• Le Rêve (Le Lapin) by Marc Chagall
• Evocation ou l’Enterrement de Casagemas by Pablo Picasso

Tickets and Admission

The MAM offers free admission to its permanent collection although a donation of at least 5 Euros is customary

Tickets to their can be purchased online and they vary from 5-13 Euros depending on the exhibit

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Musée de l’Orangerie

The Musée de l’Orangerie is famous for its impressionist and post-impressionist collection. The museum is most famous as the permanent home of eight large Water Lilies murals by Claude Monet, and also contains works by Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri Rousseau, Alfred Sisley, Chaim Soutine, Maurice Utrillo, and others. Today, the museum has a vast permanent collection as well as rotating artists’ exhibitions. They also have a lovely cafe and gift shop on site.

Tickets and Admission:

Tickets are 12.50 Euros with a reduced rate of 10 Euros

Audio guide and guided tours are available

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Petit Palais

Built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle, this beautiful Beaux-Arts style building houses the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts. Designed by Charles Girault, the building itself is a work of art with its many columns, courtyards, and elaborate facade. The design of the building was well received by the general public at the 1900 exposition. The building was named a historical monument in 1975. Today, the museum is one of fourteen museums in the City of Paris that have been incorporated since January 1, 2013, in the public corporation Paris Musées. It houses over 1,300 works of art. Some of the most famous works of art here include:

• Portrait of Sarah Bernhardt by Georges Clairin
• Sedan chair Anonymous
• The little seeker by Jan Steen
• Sun setting on the Seine at Lavacourt, winter effect by Claude Monet
• Marietta, known as the Roman odalisque by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot

Tickets and Admission:

Tickets are free but currently you must have a timed stamped reservation to enter

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Montmartre

Another great place to visit on any trip to Paris is the artist quarter of Montmartre! Located in Paris’s 18th Arrondissement, this lovely area is filled with cute little buildings, bustling artists markets, cute cafes, romantic terraces, art galleries, stunning views, and so much more. Make sure to check out the white-domed, Sacré-Cœur Basilica, which is the most iconic church in Montmartre. The church stands at the highest point in the city so visitors are treated to amazing views of the city below including the Eiffel tower. The basilica was designed by Paul Abadie. Construction began in 1875 and was completed in 1914. The basilica was consecrated after the end of World War I in 1919.

Near the end of the 19th century, many famous artists called this area of Paris their home including Amedeo Modigliani, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Suzanne Valadon, Piet Mondrian, Pablo Picasso, Camille Pissarro, and Vincent van Gogh.

Today, Montmartre is home to the Musee de Montmartre which houses works from several famous painters who lived in the area. Other top tourist sights to see include the Place du Tertre and the Cabaret du Lapin Agile both of which were popular places for local artists to hang out and relax.

Montmartre is full of charm and has the feel of an authentic French village right in the heart of Paris. Don’t forget to check out the famous Moulin Rouge which is also within this area!

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Architecture Boat Trip

Architecture in itself is a work of art and no city does it better than Paris! With stunning buildings from almost every period in modern history, an architecture tour is a must-do! And what better way to see the city than by boat. With the beautiful river Seine running right through the heart of the city, and an Architecture boat tour is a perfect way to see it all! Some of the major landmarks that can be seen along the river include The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, The Louvre, Grand Palais, Petit Palais, Musée d’Orsay and so much more. These tours also give you a bit of the history of the city itself. You can even enjoy drinks and light snacks along the way.

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Paris Winter Night Tour with Seine River Cruise & Champagne Option – $37.89
from: Viator, A Tripadvisor Company

Paris City Tour with Seine River Cruise – $43.50
from: Viator, A Tripadvisor Company

The Palace of Versailles – Day Trip

Finally, on this artist’s trip to Paris, it’s time to get out of the city itself and take a day trip to the Palace of Versailles! Just a 1-hour train ride from the city center, Versailles was once the seat of power and main home of the French monarchy. The monarchy of course fell in 1789 during the French Revolution. So today the palace is open to visitors who wish to view the splendor and opulence within the palace itself and the gardens.

What started out as a hunting lodge and later a Chateau, work on the palace you see today started in 1682. The main architectural style of the Palace is French Baroque. Today, the Palace of Versailles is a UNESCO World Heritage site with the most famous areas include the Hall of Mirrors (pictured below), the Royal Opera, the royal apartments, the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon, the Hameau created for Marie Antoinette, and of course the famous Gardens of Versailles. The entire palace itself is full of ornate furnishings, jeweled walls, and many great works of fresh art.

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The Gardens of Versailles

The Gardens of Versailles are filled with many statues, fountains, plants, and trees. All of which are beautifully displayed within this 1900 acres sprawling garden complex. Each year, the palace plants 210,000 flowers and 200,000 trees as part of the garden’s upkeep. The Gardens of Versailles were fully restored and refurbished to their former glory in the early 2000s so that visitors today can still enjoy them. I included several pictures of the gardens below. You can also take several self-guided themed walks within the gardens.

The Palace receives 7.7 million visitors per year making it one of the top 3 visited attractions in the area along with the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. The palace also has dining, a gift shop, and a small shuttle onsite for visitors to utilize.

Tickets and Admission:

The ticketing system for the Palace of Versailles is a bit complicated so I will refer you to their website- here!

Please note- You can purchase entrance to various portions of the Palace separately or in a package. So, for example, if you only want to see the gardens you can purchase just a garden ticket.

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