I took a look at the interactive map of Musee D’orsay on the museum website. The museum map consists of three separate levels, ground, median, and high, which consist of rooms, special exhibitions, temporary exhibitions, terraces, Café des Hauteurs, museum restaurant, bookshop, and auditorium. The entire central aisle of the ground level is sculptures, which are surrounded by the rooms of paintings, a temporary exhibition, and an auditorium. The median level consists mostly of paintings and has two terraces near the center with sculptures. The highest level, over the lobby, consists of all paintings and has a temporary exhibition
Out of curiosity, I looked up images of the museum and learned that it was originally a railway station and was transformed into a museum in the 1970s. It is fascinating to see how they used the space, with the arched, glass half-dome ceiling, and transformed the great hall into the museum entrance. Based on my research, I found that the museum exhibits are arranged based on broad themes and artistic techniques. For example, all the impressionist paintings are displayed together. Other displays also group the artworks, painting, sculpture, architecture, decorative arts, photography, based on time period. This method of organization reveals that the museum takes a multi-faceted approach towards presenting the art. They value teaching the diverse talents and deep history in a certain time period. The museum also uses cohesive themes to group artwork. Musee D’orsay’s mission is to share artwork based on times, themes, and style. I think this method of organization is extremely clever and makes for an immersive experience as a visitor.
Looking at this floorplan, it seems that the museum is more concentrated with art pieces and exhibits on the bottom level and less concentrated with exhibits and rooms on the topmost level. If they reorganized the placement of the art pieces, it would probably mean remodeling the architecture in some way–especially since there are terraces and auditoriums. Perhaps, they could reorganize by focusing in on time periods for each exhibition, rather than organizing art pieces in three different ways. This would create more focus and they could show the passage of time through art pieces, which would be compelling to see. However, this method would give a historical vibe to Musee D’orsay. It would place less emphasis on styles and themes, and put more emphasis on how each time period in our history was shaped through different art pieces.
The modern art period is one of my personal favorites and the Musee D’orsay is one of the best places to see the best from that era. The movements of the modern art period were many and they each represented a way thinking. The aesthetic styles and techniques often reflected philosophies of the day. The 1890s to the 1950s encompassed two world wars. Artists communicated the tumult of the time through their work. Arranging the work by these movements allows visitors to experience the various responses and perspectives to what was happening at the time. It emphasizes a diversity of thinking. The Futurists were hopeful of the progress industrialization offered, while the Expressionists attempted to capture the overwhelming feelings that the experience of war brought on. The beautiful train station only further adds to the emphasis of a period of transition.
I looked up images of the Musee D’orsay after reading this analysis, and I have to say that the design of this museum is absolutely gorgeous! It is also interesting to learn that the building itself has such a rich history beyond its time as a museum. I really liked your interpretation of the way that this museum categorizes exhibits by times, themes, and style. I would definitely agree that this form of organization contributes to a deeper understanding and appreciation for the artwork.