Top 100 - Musée d'Orsay: masterpieces
Top 100 famous masterpieces from the Musée d'Orsay to see
From Manet, Monet and Degas to Van Gogh, Cézanne, Gauguin, Seurat and Matisse: one hundred paintings to explore Orsay without reducing the museum to the impressionists alone
This classification retains one hundred oil paintings actually preserved at the Musée d'Orsay.
Modernity arrives at the station
One hundred masterpieces, no trains to catch
The Musée d'Orsay mainly covers the arts from 1848 to 1914. This period is not limited to impressionism: the galleries compare the realism of Courbet, the academicism of Cabanel and Bouguereau, the naturalism of Bastien-Lepage, the symbolism of Moreau and Redon, the Nabis, neo-impressionism and major foreign schools.
Orsay brings together an era that saw cities, images and leisure accelerate. Fortunately, the paintings stay at the dock long enough for us to really look at them.Switch to images
Classification in images
The most famous works open the route with blue nights, scandals, balls and a few looks that are impossible to dodge.
#1
Starry Night on the Rhône
"The Starry Night on the Rhône" by Vincent van Gogh, dated 1888, marks a precise stage of the journey. In Arles, the reflections of gas and stars transform the Rhône into a second celestial vault; the couple in the foreground brings this cosmic night back to the human scale.
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#2
Olympia
"Olympia" by Édouard Manet, dated 1863, marks a specific stage of the journey. The frontal gaze of the model, the light without transition and the references to Titian caused a scandal at the Salon of 1865; the work has become one of the manifestos of modernity.
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#3
Lunch on the Grass
"Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe" by Édouard Manet, dated 1863, marks a specific stage of the journey. Refused by the Salon jury, this scene juxtaposes a naked woman, two dressed men and a deliberately disjointed landscape; the painting claims its artificiality.
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#4
Galette mill ball
"Bal du moulin de la Galette" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, dated 1876, marks a specific stage of the journey. Renoir distributes sunspots, faces and dresses in the crowd of Montmartre; modern sociability becomes a great historical composition.
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#5
Arrangement in gray and black n° 1, portrait of the artist's mother
"Arrangement in gray and black n° 1, portrait of the artist's mother" by James Abbott McNeill Whistler, dated 1871, marks a precise stage of the journey. Anna Whistler's strict silhouette and almost monochrome range move the portrait towards a harmony of forms, values and silence.
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#6
The Origin of the World
"The Origin of the World" by Gustave Courbet, dated 1866, marks a precise stage of the journey. The close framing eliminates story, idealization and face; Courbet confronts the viewer with the materiality of the body and the historical limits of representation.
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#7
The Painter's Workshop
"The Painter's Workshop" by Gustave Courbet, dated 1854 -1855, marks a specific stage of the journey. Courbet brings together models, friends, adversaries and allegories around his own gesture as a painter; this monumental manifesto sums up seven years of artistic and political life.
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#8
A funeral in Ornans
"A funeral in Ornans" by Gustave Courbet, dated 1849 -1850, marks a precise stage of the journey. A provincial rite receives the dimensions reserved for history painting; the aligned figures, without a central hero, impose real society on the Salon stage.
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#9
Gleaners
"Des gleaners" by Jean-François Millet, dated 1857, marks a specific stage of the journey. Three bent women collect the ears forgotten after the harvest; the calm scale of the gestures gives monumental dignity to the poorest work.
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#10
The Angelus
"The Angelus" by Jean-François Millet, dated 1857 -1859, marks a specific stage of the journey. Prayer interrupts work at dusk; the couple, the tools and the horizon compose an image of rural contemplation that has become universal.
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#11
Parquet planers
"Les Raboteurs de parquet" by Gustave Caillebotte, dated 1875, marks a precise stage of the journey. The plunging point of view, the bodies at work and the lines of the parquet make a Parisian construction site a radical study of perspective, light and effort.
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#12
The Dance Class
"The Dance Class" by Edgar Degas, dated 1873 -1876, marks a specific stage of the journey. Degas disperses dancers, ballet master and everyday details in an oblique space; repetition, rather than spectacle, becomes the real subject.
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#13
In a café, said L'Absinthe
"In a café", says L’Absinthe, "by Edgar Degas, dated 1875 -1876, marks a precise stage of the journey. Two figures isolated by the framing and the empty tables give the café a psychological depth; the modern city also appears as an experience of solitude.
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#14
Poppies
"Poppies" by Claude Monet, dated 1873, marks a specific stage of the route. The red diagonal of the flowers connects the two couples in a Argenteuil countryside; Monet makes the outdoors a feeling of walking, air and season.
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#15
Saint-lazare Station
"La Gare Saint-Lazare" by Claude Monet, dated 1877, marks a precise stage of the journey. Steam, metal framework and locomotives dissolve architecture in light; the station becomes the moving cathedral of modern life.
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#16
The Fifre
"Le Fifre" by Édouard Manet, dated 1866, marks a precise stage of the journey. The clear silhouette of the young musician stands out from an almost depthless background; Manet borrows from Velázquez a direct presence without anecdote.
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#17
The Magpie
"La Pie" by Claude Monet, dated 1868 -1869, marks a specific stage of the route. The bird's small black spot punctuates a landscape dominated by the colorful shadows of the snow; Monet paints less of a place than a luminous temperature.
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#18
Women in the garden
"Women in the Garden" by Claude Monet, dated 1866, marks a specific stage of the journey. Painted outdoors on a monumental canvas, the scene studies the same light on four attitudes and several dresses; the garden becomes an open workshop.
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#19
The Balcony
"Le Balcon" by Édouard Manet, dated 1868 -1869, marks a specific stage of the journey. The green grid separates as much as it exposes the figures; divergent looks, bright whites and dark backgrounds make the scene strangely theatrical.
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#20
The Church of Auvers-sur-Oise, seen from the apse
"The Church of Auvers-sur-Oise, seen from the apse" by Vincent van Gogh, dated 1890, marks a precise stage of the journey. The building seems to waver between two paths under a cobalt sky; the color and the line twist the pattern without making it lose its presence.
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#21
Self-portrait
"Self-portrait" by Vincent van Gogh, dated 1889, marks a specific stage of the journey. The face is built in the same network of keys as the background; the intensity of the gaze is born from a painting which no longer separates man from his environment.
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#22
Card Players
"The Card Players" by Paul Cézanne, dated around 1890 -1895, marks a specific stage of the journey. Two silent peasants balance around the table and the bottle; the familiar scene becomes an architecture of volumes and colors.
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#23
Van Gogh's Room in Arles
"Van Gogh's Room in Arles" by Vincent van Gogh, dated 1889, marks a precise stage of the journey. Inclined perspective, flat areas and simple furniture build a mental room; Van Gogh seeks rest through color, even in instability.
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#24
Apples and oranges
"Apples and Oranges" by Paul Cézanne, dated around 1899, marks a specific stage of the journey. Fruits, folds, crockery and tilted table obey several points of view; still life becomes a major laboratory of modern painting.
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#25
Women of Tahiti
"Women of Tahiti" by Paul Gauguin, dated 1891, marks a specific stage of the journey. Two seated women, treated in large colored surfaces, condense Gauguin's synthetic ambition while recalling the colonial gaze that structures his work.
View product →Boulevards, workshops, cafes, shows and nearby countryside tell the story of a society that is changing pace.
#26
The Birth of Venus
In row 26, "The Birth of Venus" by Alexandre Cabanel, dated 1863, marks a specific stage of the journey. Presented at the same Salon as Manet's ruptures, this smooth and undulating Venus embodies the academic success of the Second Empire and its ideal of beauty. Here, the city, leisure, spectacle and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogue with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#27
Berthe Morisot with a bouquet of violets
In row 27, "Berthe Morisot with a bouquet of violets" by Édouard Manet, dated 1872, marks a specific stage of the journey. Black of the hat, paleness of the face and lively gaze concentrate attention; the portrait captures an artist as an intellectual presence, not as a simple model. Here, the city, leisure, spectacle and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogues with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#28
The Argenteuil Bridge
At row 28, "Le Pont d'Argenteuil" by Claude Monet, dated 1874, marks a precise stage of the route. Bridge, sails and reflections order the stage in light strips; nautical leisure and modern infrastructure share the same landscape. Here, the city, leisure, spectacle and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogues with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#29
London, Parliament. Hole of sun in the fog
In row 29, "London, Parliament. Hole of sun in the fog" by Claude Monet, dated 1904, marks a specific stage of the route. The Gothic silhouette dissolves in an orange and purple fog; the monument counts less than the changing atmosphere that absorbs it. Here, the city, leisure, spectacle and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogues with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#30
Rue Montorgueil, in Paris. Festival of June 30, 1878
At row 30, "La Rue Montorgueil, in Paris. Festival of June 30, 1878" by Claude Monet, dated 1878, marks a specific stage of the route. Seen from above, the street becomes a vibration of flags, crowds and light; Monet captures the collective energy more than the patriotic detail. Here, the city, leisure, spectacle and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogues with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#31
Woman with parasol facing right
In row 31, "Woman with an umbrella facing the right" by Claude Monet, dated 1886, marks a specific stage of the journey. The figure seen from a low angle merges with the wind and the clouds; outdoor study transforms the portrait into an atmospheric event. Here, the city, leisure, spectacle and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogue with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#32
Woman with umbrella turned left
In row 32, "Woman with an umbrella turned to the left" by Claude Monet, dated 1886, marks a precise stage of the journey. Thought like the counterpart of the figure turned to the right, this canvas varies the gesture, the direction of the wind and the relationship of the body to the sky. Here, the city, leisure, spectacle and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogues with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#33
Regattas in Argenteuil
At row 33, "Regates in Argenteuil" by Claude Monet, dated around 1872, marks a precise stage of the route. The sails, the houses and their reflections are recomposed in mobile water; Monet makes the Argenteuil basin an emblem of modern leisure. Here, the city, leisure, entertainment and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogues with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#34
The Red Roofs, village corner, winter effect
In row 34, "The Red Roofs, village corner, winter effect" by Camille Pissarro, dated 1877, marks a precise stage of the route. The roofs appear between the trunks like a constructed pattern; the tight touch unites village, slope and vegetation in the same winter sensation. Here, the city, leisure, spectacle and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogues with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#35
The Flood in Port Marly
In row 35, "The Flood at Port-Marly" by Alfred Sisley, dated 1876, marks a specific stage of the route. Water covers the street without erasing daily life; the facades and their reflections organize a scene that is both documentary and luminous. Here, the city, leisure, entertainment and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogues with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#36
The swing
In row 36, "La Balançoire" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, dated 1876, marks a precise stage of the journey. The light filtered by the foliage fragments the dresses and the ground; an ordinary conversation acquires the mobility of a moment captured on the spot. Here, the city, leisure, spectacle and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogues with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#37
Dancing in the city
In row 37, "Dance in the city" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, dated 1883, marks a specific stage of the journey. The white dress, the glove and the chosen decor compose a worldly elegance; the couple tours in a space that is more ceremonial than narrative. Here, the city, leisure, entertainment and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogues with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#38
Country dancing
In row 38, "Dance in the Country" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, dated 1883, marks a specific stage of the journey. The dancer's smile, the warm colors and the abandoned table give this counterpart a rustic and immediately communicative freedom. Here, the city, leisure, spectacle and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogues with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#39
Young girls at the piano
In row 39, "Young girls at the piano" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, dated 1892, marks a specific stage of the journey. Commissioned for the national collections, the stage combines bourgeois intimacy, colorful chords and concentration of gestures around the score. Here, the city, leisure, entertainment and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogue with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#40
The Cat Boy
At row 40, "The Cat Boy" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, dated 1868 -1869, marks a specific stage of the journey. The young naked model, seen from behind with the animal in her arms, moves the conventions of portraiture and the male nude with unexpected gentleness. Here, the city, leisure, spectacle and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogues with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#41
The Bellelli Family
At rank 41, "The Bellelli Family" by Edgar Degas, dated 1858 -1867, marks a precise stage of the journey. Each posture and each interval reflects the tensions of the family group; Degas transforms the large collective portrait into a silent drama. Here, the city, leisure, spectacle and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogues with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#42
The Opera Orchestra
At row 42, "The Opera Orchestra" by Edgar Degas, dated around 1870, marks a specific stage of the route. The framing cuts the dancers while the musicians occupy the foreground; pit and stage meet in a resolutely modern vision of the show. Here, the city, leisure, spectacle and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogue with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#43
The Foyer de la danse at the Opera on rue Le Peletier
In row 43, "The Foyer de la danse at the Opera on rue Le Peletier" by Edgar Degas, dated 1872, marks a specific stage of the route. Bar, mirror, columns and dancers chant the depth; Degas observes the work, the expectation and the discipline behind the brilliant image of ballet. Here, the city, leisure, spectacle and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogues with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#44
The Racecourse. Amateur jockeys near a car
At row 44, "The Racecourse. Amateur jockeys near a car" by Edgar Degas, dated around 1876 -1887, marks a precise stage of the route. Horses, car and figures are captured between preparation and departure; the asymmetry of the framing gives the scene the appearance of instant observation. Here, the city, leisure, spectacle and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogues with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#45
The Cradle
In row 45, "Le Berceau" by Berthe Morisot, dated 1872, marks a specific stage of the journey. The veil of the cradle connects the mother's gaze to the child's sleep; motherhood becomes a study of transparency, intimacy and attention. Here, the city, leisure, entertainment and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogues with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#46
Young woman in ball gown
In row 46, "Young Woman in Ballroom" by Berthe Morisot, dated 1879, marks a specific stage of the journey. The dress, flowers and face emerge with a quick touch; Morisot captures elegance without freezing his model in worldly pose. Here, the city, leisure, spectacle and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogues with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#47
The Rue Royale Circle
At row 47, "Le Cercle de la rue Royale" by James Tissot, dated 1868, marks a precise stage of the route. Twelve men from the aristocratic circle are gathered on a terrace with almost photographic precision; the collective portrait becomes a painting of a social class. Here, the city, leisure, entertainment and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogues with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#48
A lodge for Italians
In row 48, "A Lodge for Italians" by Eva Gonzalès, dated 1874, marks a specific stage of the journey. The lodge transforms the theater into a space for social representation; looks, bouquet and fabrics reveal an artist attentive to the codes of Parisian spectacle. Here, the city, leisure, entertainment and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogue with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#49
Roofs under the snow, Paris
At row 49, "Toits sous la neige, Paris" by Gustave Caillebotte, dated 1878, marks a precise stage of the route. From a high window, the roofs become a silent checkerboard of whites and grays; the modern city momentarily withdraws from the crowd. Here, the city, leisure, spectacle and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogues with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
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#50
White jelly
At row 50, "White Jelly" by Camille Pissarro, dated 1873, marks a precise stage of the route. The furrows, the peasant and the slope are captured in cold air; the rough touch restores the resistance of the ground as much as the light. Here, the city, leisure, spectacle and the outdoors renew the subjects as much as the framing; impressionism dialogues with Manet, Degas, Morisot and Caillebotte.
View product →Monet, Renoir, Sisley and their neighbors make the weather a real painting subject.
#51
The Wounded Man
At rank 51, "The Wounded Man" by Gustave Courbet, dated 1844 -1854, marks a specific stage of the journey. Courbet reworks his own portrait into a wounded romantic figure; the theatricality of the gesture rubs shoulders with a physical presence without idealization. This chapter brings to the forefront the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy Orsay one essential place.
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#52
Trout
At rank 52, "La Trouite" by Gustave Courbet, dated 1872, marks a specific stage of the journey. The hanging fish, painted after Courbet's imprisonment, concentrates material, violence and survival in a still life of autobiographical intensity. This chapter brings to the forefront the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy Orsay an essential place.
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#53
The Source
At rank 53, "La Source" by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, with Paul Balze and Alexandre Desgoffe, dated 1820 -1856, marks a precise stage of the journey. Begun in Florence and completed decades later with the help of collaborators, the figure embodies Ingres' linear ideal in a carefully constructed landscape. This chapter brings to the forefront the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy an essential place in Orsay.
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#54
The Birth of Venus
At rank 54, "The Birth of Venus" by William Bouguereau, dated 1879, marks a precise stage of the journey. Precise drawing, polished skin tones and mythological procession bring academicism to its highest degree of virtuosity and public visibility. This chapter brings to the forefront the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy Orsay an essential place.
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#55
A cockfight
At rank 55, "A Cockfight" by Jean-Léon Gérôme, dated 1846, marks a precise stage of the journey. Two young ancient figures frame an animal confrontation; archaeological precision and narrative tension announced Gérôme's success. This chapter brings to the forefront the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy Orsay an essential place.
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#56
The Romans of decadence
In rank 56, "The Romans of Decadence" by Thomas Couture, dated 1847, marks a specific stage of the journey. The ancient banquet serves as a moral mirror for contemporary society; the spectacular orchestra-body format, architecture and political warning. This chapter brings to the forefront the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy an essential place in Orsay.
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#57
Rolla
At rank 57, "Rolla" by Henri Gervex, dated 1878, marks a specific stage of the journey. The men's clothing thrown in the foreground is enough to cause a scandal: the modern scene, inspired by Musset, makes explicit what the academic nude concealed. This chapter brings to the fore the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy Orsay one essential place.
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#58
Cain
At rank 58, "Cain" by Fernand Cormon, dated 1880, marks a specific stage of the journey. Cain's family crosses a desert landscape like primitive humanity; Cormon combines biblical narrative, prehistoric imagination and panoramic ambition. This chapter brings to the forefront the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy Orsay an essential place.
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#59
The dream
At rank 59, "Le Rêve" by Édouard Detaille, dated 1888, marks a specific stage in the journey. Sleeping conscripts see the armies of national memory parade; military realism and patriotic vision overlap in a composition that has become emblematic. This chapter brings to the forefront the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy an essential place in Orsay.
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#60
1814, the French Campaign
At rank 60, "1814, the French Campaign" by Ernest Meissonier, dated 1864, marks a precise stage of the journey. Napoleon advances under heavy skies, surrounded by an exhausted staff; the small scale of the painting reinforces historical and psychological concentration. This chapter brings to the forefront the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy an essential place in Orsay.
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#61
The Excommunication of Robert the Pious
At rank 61, "The Excommunication of Robert the Pious" by Jean-Paul Laurens, dated 1875, marks a precise stage of the journey. The closing door, the fallen scepter and the silence of the couple summarize the exclusion with a dramatic economy worthy of the theater. This chapter brings to the forefront the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy Orsay an essential place.
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#62
Harvester Pay
At rank 62, "La Paye des Moissonneurs" by Léon Lhermitte, dated 1882, marks a specific stage of the journey. The distribution of salary closes the working day; gestures, fatigue and social hierarchy are observed without easy picturesqueness. This chapter brings to the forefront the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy a place in Orsay essential.
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#63
The hay
At row 63, "Les Foins" by Jules Bastien-Lepage, dated 1877, marks a specific stage of the journey. An exhausted peasant woman looks beyond the viewer while her companion sleeps; naturalism combines precision of the field and physical fatigue. This chapter brings to the forefront the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy Orsay one essential place.
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#64
Nivernais plowing
At rank 64, "Labourage Nivernais" by Rosa Bonheur, dated 1849, marks a specific stage of the journey. Two teams of oxen open the earth in a large composition; the anatomical observation and the rhythm of the work give the rural world an epic grandeur. This chapter brings to the forefront the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy an essential place in Orsay.
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#65
The Poor Fisherman
At rank 65, "Le Pauvre Pêcheur" by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, dated 1881, marks a precise stage of the journey. The boat, the motionless figure and the rarefied landscape compose an image of poverty without anecdote, suspended between realism and symbol. This chapter brings to the forefront the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy Orsay an essential place.
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#66
Young Girls by the sea
In row 66, "Young Girls by the Sea" by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, dated 1879, marks a specific stage of the journey. Three separate attitudes respond to each other in an almost timeless landscape; the simplification of forms announces symbolist and decorative research. This chapter brings to the fore the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy an essential place in Orsay.
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#67
Orpheus
At rank 67, "Orphée" by Gustave Moreau, dated 1865, marks a specific stage of the journey. A young Thrace collects the head and lyre of Orpheus; richness of details, mineral silence and poetry of myth define Moreau's universe. This chapter brings to the forefront the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy a place in Orsay essential.
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#68
Galatea
At row 68, "Galatea" by Gustave Moreau, dated around 1880, marks a specific stage of the journey. The whiteness of Galatea stands out from an underwater setting saturated with stones and plants, under the gaze of the cyclops almost melted into the wall. This chapter brings to the fore the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy Orsay one essential place.
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#69
The war
At rank 69, "La Guerre" by Henri Rousseau, dated 1894, marks a specific stage of the journey. A rider crosses a field of the dead under black branches; the deliberately naive frontality makes the allegory even more disturbing. This chapter brings to the forefront the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy a place in Orsay essential.
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#70
The Snake Charmer
At rank 70, "The Snake Charm" by Henri Rousseau, dated 1907, marks a specific stage of the journey. The dark silhouette plays the flute in nocturnal vegetation; plants, water and animals compose a tropical dream without a conventional perspective. This chapter brings to the forefront the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy an essential place in Orsay.
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#71
The Talisman, the Aven at Bois d'Amour
At rank 71, "Le Talisman, l'Aven au Bois d'Amour" by Paul Sérusier, dated 1888, marks a precise stage of the journey. Under the leadership of Gauguin, Sérusier translated the landscape into pure solid areas; this small panel becomes a founding text for the Nabis. This chapter brings to the forefront the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupied in Orsay an essential place.
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#72
Arearea
At rank 72, "Arearea" by Paul Gauguin, dated 1892, marks a specific stage of the journey. Women, red dogs and ritual figures are assembled in a deliberately unreal range; Gauguin constructs a pictorial paradise as much as a personal myth. This chapter brings to the forefront the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy Orsay an essential place.
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#73
The Beautiful Angela
At row 73, "La Belle Angèle" by Paul Gauguin, dated 1889, marks a specific stage of the journey. The medallion portrait, the pottery and the decorative background break with the naturalist space; the Breton model becomes a synthetic icon. This chapter brings to the forefront the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy a place in Orsay essential.
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#74
The White Horse
At rank 74, "The White Horse" by Paul Gauguin, dated 1898, marks a specific stage of the journey. The animal leans towards the water in a landscape of greens and oranges; the decorative construction transforms Tahitian observation into interior vision. This chapter brings to the forefront the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy Orsay an essential place.
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#75
Portrait of the artist with the yellow Christ
In rank 75, "Portrait of the artist with the yellow Christ" by Paul Gauguin, dated 1890 -1891, marks a precise stage of the journey. Gauguin places his face between two of his own works; the self-portrait becomes an aesthetic, moral and carefully staged statement. This chapter brings to the forefront the diversity of the 19th century: realism, naturalism, academic painting, history and symbolism occupy an essential place in Orsay.
View product →Gauguin, Van Gogh, Bonnard and others moved painting toward memory, sensation, and formal invention.
#76
Portrait of Eugene Boch
In row 76, "Portrait of Eugène Boch" by Vincent van Gogh, dated 1888, marks a specific stage of the journey. The Belgian painter appears in front of an imaginary starry sky; Van Gogh seeks less social resemblance than a temperament translated into color. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, Seurat, Redon, Matisse and the schools foreigners.
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#77
Fritillaries imperial crown in a copper vase
In row 77, "Imperial crown fritillaries in a copper vase" by Vincent van Gogh, dated 1887, marks a precise stage of the journey. The orange flowers and the blue background are reinforced by contrast; the thick touch makes still life an exercise in chromatic energy. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, in Seurat, Redon, Matisse and foreign schools.
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#78
La Méridienne, known as La Sieste
At row 78, "La Méridienne, known as La Sieste" by Vincent van Gogh, dated 1889 -1890, marks a precise stage of the journey. According to Millet, Van Gogh reinvents the rest of the harvesters with solar yellows and intense blues; the copy becomes personal translation. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, to Seurat, Redon, Matisse and to foreign schools.
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#79
Portrait of Doctor Gachet
In row 79, "Portrait of Doctor Gachet" by Vincent van Gogh, dated 1890, marks a precise stage of the journey. The melancholic pose, the foxglove and the curves at the back give the doctor a fragility that Van Gogh recognized as very close to his own. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, Seurat, Redon, Matisse and the foreign schools.
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#80
L'Arlésienne, Madame Ginoux
At row 80, "L'Arlésienne, Madame Ginoux" by Vincent van Gogh, dated 1888, marks a precise stage of the route. The firm outline, the flat areas of color and the inclined table give Madame Ginoux a presence that is both daily and emblematic. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, Seurat, Redon, Matisse and the schools foreigners.
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#81
The Woman with the Coffee Maker
In row 81, "The Woman with the Coffee Maker" by Paul Cézanne, dated around 1890 -1895, marks a specific stage of the journey. The servant, the cup and the coffee maker are built as stable volumes; the simplicity of the subject reveals Cézanne's architectural thinking. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, Seurat, Redon, Matisse and the foreign schools.
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#82
The Gulf of Marseille seen from L'Estaque
At row 82, "The Gulf of Marseille seen from L'Estaque" by Paul Cézanne, dated around 1878 -1879, marks a precise stage of the route. The branches frame an ordered bay in colorful planes; Cézanne transforms the Mediterranean depth into firm and discontinuous construction. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, in Seurat, Redon, Matisse and foreign schools.
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#83
Still life with onions
At row 83, "Still life with onions" by Paul Cézanne, dated around 1896 -1898, marks a precise stage of the journey. Onions, bottle, plate and tablecloth adjust according to slightly incompatible perspectives; coherence comes from color rather than classical geometry. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, to Seurat, Redon, Matisse and foreign schools.
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#84
The Hanged Man's House, Auvers-sur-Oise
At row 84, "La Maison du pendu, Auvers-sur-Oise" by Paul Cézanne, dated 1873, marks a precise stage of the route. The narrow path, the thick houses and the absence of sky give the village a new density; the work marks Cézanne's public entry into impressionism. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, to Seurat, Redon, Matisse and foreign schools.
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#85
The Circus
At row 85, "Le Cirque" by Georges Seurat, dated 1891, marks a precise stage of the route. Curves of the horse, the rider and the stands are organized in a system of divided colors; incompleteness reveals the method as much as the spectacle. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, Seurat, Redon, Matisse and the schools foreigners.
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#86
The Poseuses
At rank 86, "Les Poseuses" by Georges Seurat, dated 1886 -1888, marks a precise stage of the journey. Three poses of the same model confront the workshop nude with the pointillist surface; Seurat responds to criticism of a method considered too cold. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, Seurat, Redon, Matisse and foreign schools.
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#87
Women at the well
At row 87, "Women at the Well" by Paul Signac, dated 1892, marks a specific stage of the journey. The Mediterranean figures and the landscape of Saint-Tropez are organized into luminous zones; divisionism takes on a decorative and monumental ambition. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, Seurat, Redon, Matisse and the schools foreigners.
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#88
The Château des Papes in Avignon
At row 88, "Le Château des Papes à Avignon" by Paul Signac, dated 1900, marks a specific stage of the route. The monument and its reflections vibrate under separate touches; historic architecture becomes a field of chromatic experimentation. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, Seurat, Redon, Matisse and foreign schools.
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#89
The bed
At row 89, "Le Lit" by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, dated around 1892, marks a precise stage of the journey. Two women rest face to face in a closed room; the close framing and the soft palette give intimacy an accuracy without spectacular voyeurism. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, to Seurat, Redon, Matisse and to foreign schools.
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#90
Dance at the Moulin Rouge
At row 90, "La Danse au Moulin-Rouge" by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, dated 1890, marks a specific stage of the route. The floor opens between dancers, spectators and cut silhouettes; Lautrec restores the hierarchies and social electricity of the cabaret. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, Seurat, Redon, Matisse and the schools foreigners.
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#91
The White Cat
At row 91, "Le Chat blanc" by Pierre Bonnard, dated 1894, marks a specific stage of the journey. The exaggeratedly elongated body and thin legs give the animal a comical appearance; Bonnard transforms familiar observation into decorative arabesque. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, Seurat, Redon, Matisse and the schools foreigners.
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#92
Tribute to Cézanne
At rank 92, "Homage to Cézanne" by Maurice Denis, dated 1900, marks a specific stage of the journey. Around a still life of Cézanne, artists, merchants and critics come together; the scene affirms a decisive connection for modern painting. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, Seurat, Redon, Matisse and the schools foreigners.
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#93
The Muses
At rank 93, "Les Muses" by Maurice Denis, dated 1893, marks a specific stage of the journey. Contemporary women become the muses of a simplified sacred wood; flat areas, repetitions and verticals underpin the Nabi aesthetic. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, Seurat, Redon, Matisse and foreign schools.
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#94
Eyes closed
At row 94, "Les Yeux clos" by Odilon Redon, dated 1890, marks a specific stage of the journey. The inclined face and closed eyelids direct the gaze inwards; Redon transposes the visionary silence of his blacks into color. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, Seurat, Redon, Matisse and foreign schools.
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#95
The Apollo Tank
At rank 95, "Le Char d'Apollon" by Odilon Redon, dated around 1912, marks a specific stage of the journey. The myth arises in a cloud of colors rather than in a descriptive space; light becomes the real driving force of the tank. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, Seurat, Redon, Matisse and foreign schools.
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#96
Luxury, calm and voluptuousness
In row 96, "Luxury, calm and voluptuousness" by Henri Matisse, dated 1904, marks a precise stage of the route. The divided touch is freed from the strict neo-impressionist method; this swimming scene announces the fawn color and decorative autonomy. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, Seurat, Redon, Matisse and the schools foreigners.
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#97
Mill in sunlight
At row 97, "Moulin dans la Lumière du Soleil" by Piet Mondrian, dated 1908, marks a specific stage of the journey. The real mill is consumed in saturated reds, yellows and blues; Mondrian pushes the landscape towards the simplification which will precede abstraction. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, Seurat, Redon, Matisse and the foreign schools.
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#98
Summer night
In row 98, "Summer Night" by Winslow Homer, dated 1890, marks a specific stage of the journey. Two women dance by the sea under the moon while the waves hit the coast; the scene unites celebration, darkness and natural power. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, Seurat, Redon, Matisse and foreign schools.
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#99
The Wheel of Fortune
At rank 99, "The Wheel of Fortune" by Edward Burne-Jones, dated 1875 -1883, marks a precise stage of the journey. King, poet and slave are driven by the same monumental wheel; the linear drawing and allegory give Pre-Raphaelitism an implacable gravity. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, Seurat, Redon, Matisse and the foreign schools.
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#100
The Carmencita
At rank 100, "La Carmencita" by John Singer Sargent, dated 1890, marks a specific stage of the journey. The Spanish dancer dominates the canvas with her dress, her pose and her gaze; Sargent transforms a stage star into a portrait of sovereign presence. The last part follows the paths opened after impressionism, from Van Gogh and Gauguin to the Nabis, Seurat, Redon, Matisse and the schools foreigners.
View product →What the ranking reveals
One hundred works, three faces from the 19th century
After a hundred paintings, Orsay appears as the museum of a world caught between horse and locomotive, academicism and avant-garde, ball gown and overalls. Modernity does not walk in a straight line; she prefers to change platforms at the last moment.
The present becomes historical
A train station, a dancer or an ordinary lunch acquire the gravity once reserved for myths and kings.
Light becomes a method
It no longer just illuminates shapes: it organizes color, time and sensation.
The museum brings together disagreements
Realism, impressionism, academicism and symbolism contradict each other, which makes the visit much more interesting.
Timeline on track
Five dates to join Orsay
The period covered by the collections begins at a time when art, politics and society are entering a phase of profound transformation.
The Salon des Refusés exposes the tensions between the institution and artists who seek other subjects and other forms.
Monet, Degas, Renoir, Morisot and their friends organized the first impressionist exhibition.
Orsay station opens for the Universal Exhibition, with its clocks and its large metal nave.
The old transformed station opened as a museum dedicated to the arts from 1848 to 1914.
The museum in depth
How to read this Top 100 from the Musée d'Orsay?
The Musée d'Orsay mainly covers the arts from 1848 to 1914. This period is not limited to impressionism: the galleries compare the realism of Courbet, the academicism of Cabanel and Bouguereau, the naturalism of Bastien-Lepage, the symbolism of Moreau and Redon, the Nabis, neo-impressionism and major foreign schools.
Fame remains the first criterion at the top of the ranking. Olympia, Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe, the Bal du moulin de la Galette or La Nuit étoilée sur le Rhône are world landmarks. But a visit built solely around these icons would make the historical richness of the museum disappear; the following ranks therefore also serve variety.
All entrances are oil paintings, including when the support is wood or cardboard. This choice deliberately excludes the major pastels of Degas and Redon, which deserve a separate tour, as well as graphic works, photography and sculpture.
The classification is not a seating plan. Hanging, loans and restorations may modify the presentation; you must check the official museum website before the visit. Rank mainly helps to establish priorities and recognize large stylistic ensembles.
Commercial reproductions and museum works are two separate objects.
Four visit keys
Watch before the clock rushes you
Modern subject, light, framing and material allow us to understand why Orsay's works seem both close and radically new. The 19th century already had a lot to do; he still found the time to reinvent painting.
Look for the present
Work, leisure, transportation and urban life show how artists define their own era.
Identify the moment
Colorful shadows, reflections and atmospheres give an hour and a temperature to the scene.
Observe the cuts
Japanese photography and prints encourage off-center, close-up or deliberately abrupt compositions.
Read the surface
Visible touch, flat areas, pastel and impasto remind us that modernity also plays out in manufacturing.
Route connections
Continue after the last clock
Museum notices, artists, collections and sources extend the visit with verifiable markers. No composted tickets are necessary, which already constitutes appreciable progress.
Frequently asked questions
Orsay without a race against time
The essential answers to understand the collections, choose the major works and prepare a visit that leaves a little room for the eye.
Does this classification only contain works from the Musée d'Orsay?
Yes. The hundred paintings belong to the collections of the Musée d'Orsay; works from other museums and simple exhibition loans were excluded.
Why is there no sculpture or photography?
The perimeter is deliberately pictorial. Orsay has masterpieces in these areas, but mixing them would make the classification less coherent and prevent comparing works of the same nature.
Are Degas pastels included?
No. The corpus is limited to oil painting. Pastels, drawings, monotypes and graphic techniques are reserved for dedicated classifications.
How were the hundred works classified?
The top twenty-five places favor international fame and influence. The rest balances historical importance, quality, diversity of schools and interest in a real visit.
Why doesn't impressionism occupy the entire ranking?
Because Orsay also preserves major realistic, academic, naturalist, symbolist, post-impressionist and foreign ensembles. The ranking seeks to show this complete museum.
Does the article contain a slideshow?
No. The hundred works are displayed directly in a continuous editorial list, on computer and mobile.
Have product images and links been checked?
Yes.
Should the hanging be checked before the visit?
Yes. A work can be loaned, restored or temporarily removed. The official website of the Musée d'Orsay remains the reference for today's presentation.
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