Musée d’Orsay is home to some of the masterful works of art, which trace back to the nineteenth century and early twentieth century Europe. The museum is one of the must-visit places for art lovers in Paris, the capital city of France. As it is set in a former railway station, you will have to tour Orsay many times to see and appreciate each and every artwork in the museum. For this reason, you will want a list that compiles five of the best pieces housed in it. Besides these artworks, make it a point to watch “Walking Panther” by Rembrandt when on a tour of the Musee d Orsay.

Self-Portrait by Vincent van Gogh

The Dutch painter, Vincent van Gogh created many portraits of himself. After he moved out to Paris in the late 1880’s and learned the early painting lessons from his contemporaries, Vincent amalgamated their works of art with an art form known as “Ukiyo-e”. He did this to create his own style, which was both delicate and fluid. However, for Vincent, these self-portraits were an attempt to discover the coherent self, which was especially muddled by his battle with depression. That state reflects in his “Self-Portrait”, which has a pleasant brushstrokes-filled background but the face points to the artist’s alienation from society. Much has been studied and made of this work, and some say the artist did not commit suicide, and claim that his portrait shows a happy side of himself.

Bazille’s Studio

Tensions surrounding conventional gender roles became more and more prevalent as the nineteenth century progressed, and this painting highlights the disparity between women and men in the world of art at that time. Created by Frédéric Bazille, the painting depicts some men observing, others analyzing, and others talking, with nude figures being the lone female presence in it. These muses are anything but symbolic – trapped in the pastoral domestic worlds only to be assessed and objectified by male intellectuals in it.

Nymphéas Bleus

When on a tour Orsay program, you will come across many works from masterful European painters. The trip would be worth your time only if you go to the gallery which houses the artworks by Claude Monet. Many regard Monet as the most famous painter of all time. The Nymphéas Bleus (Blue Water Lillies) is to Claude Monet what the art form is to most modern-day painters: a masterpiece and a pride matter.