Paintings in the Musee d'orsay [Hardcover]

Robert Rosenblum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 1989

More than 800 treasures of 19th- and early 20th-century art are reproduced in this book, which is in the same style as the successful "Paintings in the Louvre". The author, an art historian, has selected and arranged the paintings, showing the breadth of the museum's collection. The Musee D'Orsay now includes the famous impressionists of the Jeu de Paume and the academic and realist paintings from the Louvre. This book also selects work from the museum's storerooms, which contain a wide selection of international paintings. The author is a professor at New York University's Institute of Fine Arts, and the author of many books including "Cubism and Twentieth Century Art", "Ingres" and "Modern Painting and the Northern Romantic Tradition".

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the Musee d'Orsay, Paris, open since 1986, masterpieces by Monet, Rousseau, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Seurat, Cassatt and Klimt hang alongside paintings executed by lesser-knowns between 1848 and 1914. A globe-straddling array of artists whose work is reproduced here stretches from Finland to Portugal, Australia to Puerto Rico, to exhilarating effect. Realism looms as an ever-present force, from Eugene Boudin's intensely luminous beach scenes to Alfred Stevens's grim views of starving French workers. The dreamy introspection of Puvis de Chavannes's fantasies reverberates in symbolist canvases. Modernism looks more diverse, more international and more disquieting than ever before. Boasting 830 color plates, this massive sampler frames an inexhaustible store of riches. Commentaries by Rosenblum, professor at New York University, are spirited and enlightening. BOMC bonus selection.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 686 pages
• Publisher: Stewart, Tabori and Chang; First U.S. Edition edition (September 15, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556700997
• ISBN-13: 978-1556700996
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 9.8 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #390,413 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Our favorite, June 3, 2007

By 

Lon Welsh "Lon Welsh" (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Paintings in the Musee d'orsay (Hardcover)

Context: I'm not an academic or a scholar; I'm a regular guy who likes visiting museums when I travel and I wanted to do a little researach before I left. This book worked well for my daughter and I to determine which parts of the museum deserved the most time (on a short trip) and to get a better understanding of the works. I'm not qualified to evaluate it from an academic perspective, but as a layman it was exactly what we needed. I bought several museum books all at the same time and this was the best.

18 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!!!, February 14, 2001

By 

Jutta H. Rueth "britjr" (Littleton, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Paintings in the Musee d'orsay (Hardcover)

I was fortunate to be able to visit the Musee D'Orsay on my last trip to Paris. This book was filled with lovely photos of what the museum displays. It was a wonderful trip down memory lane of one of my favorite experiences.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Right up there with the Eiffel Tower..., April 1, 2010

By 

John P. Jones III (Albuquerque, NM, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Paintings in the Musee d'orsay (Hardcover)

...is the Musée D'Orsay as a tourist destination in Paris. And rightly so, perhaps even more so. It has now been almost 25 years since the French converted an abandoned railway station into one of the leading museums in the world. Before you go, forget the French phrase book, they'll all speak English if you say it loud enough ;-), but what better way to prepare than to purchase a book on the painting in the D'Orsay, and review it for a week or two prior to departure. As a word of caution, there are numerous editions of this book, with different material, and even if the painting is in the book it does not mean it will be in the museum, as there are programs whereby they are lent to other museums for special programs.

Americans, in particular, seem to make a bee-line to the Impressionists, and indeed, D'Orsay contains perhaps the world's most formidable collection. Some, like Renoir's "Bal du Moulin de la Galette" suffer from overexposure. Monet's waterlilies are essential as his Cathedrale de Rouen. The bulk of the paintings are non-Impressionist, and include an excellent selection of 19th Century realism. Even overworked, I remain a fan of Millet's "Les Glaneuses" (the Gleaners) which Agnes Varda developed into an excellent, thought-provoking movie. You don't "have" to go to Provence; but that would be a pity; there are over 30 painting of Paul Cézanne, and a number of Van Gogh's. There are also Seurats', Toulouse-Lautrecs' and Henri Rousseaus'.

The vast majority of this book are quality reproductions of the paintings themselves. But there are also a number of 2-3 page essays on the period themes, and these include one on "Eclecticism and Realism," "Impressionism," "Post-Impressionism," "Naturalism and Symbolism," and "After 1900".)

This is an essential book to obtain, even before you buy your air tickets to Paris. The anticipation of seeing the real painting at the end of the trip will help take your mind off the abuse the travel process has now become. It might be the only 5-star aspect of your trip.