4 places to see Monet’s paintings in and around Paris

Known as one of the key figures leading the Impressionist movement in the late 19th century and one of the most prolific French artists of all time, Claude Monet was a prodigious painter with over 2,500 credited oil paintings to his name. Many of Monet’s most significant artworks can be found in Paris, a natural destination for art lovers.

Here are the best places to see Monet’s paintings in and around Paris.

The Musée d’Orsay is one of the largest and most-visited museums in all of Europe and has a collection of over 80 oil paintings belonging to Monet. The artist’s work is known to focus on nature and the French countryside, which can be seen in these paintings:

Beyond Monet, Musée d’Orsay has the largest collection of Impressionist artworks in the world, including works from Monet’s contemporaries like Degas, Cezanne, and Renoir.

The Musée d’Orsay building is a work of art in itself. Located along the left bank of the Seine River opposite the Jardin des Tuileries, the museum is housed in the former Gare d’Orsay train station. It sports an ornate Beaux Art facade and a notable 138m-long barrel vault atrium running down its center where the train platforms used to be.

Musée d’Orsay offers free entry for all visitors every first Sunday of the month. Those under 18, EU citizens between 18-25 years old, and those with disabilities are also entitled to free entry at any time of the year. There are extended hours on Thursdays when the museum will close at 9.45 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. Take advantage of the cheaper admission fee during this extended time slot. Note that the museum is closed on Mondays. See more ticket details here.

Even if you’ve never heard of Monet, there’s a good chance you’ve seen his famous water lilies paintings before. Monet’s Les Nymphéas (Water Lilies) series consists of over 250 works, many of which were painted late in the artist’s life while at his garden home in Giverny.

The Musée de l’Orangerie is a small museum specially designed to house eight impressive water lily murals over 6 feet high. Monet himself worked with the architect Camille Lefèvre to design the space–two oval-shaped rooms arranged in the shape of an infinity symbol and a skylight that floods the room in natural light.

Aside from Monet, Musée de l’Orangerie is the home of the Jean Walter and Paul Guillaume collection consisting of 148 pieces of art, a mix of Impressionist and Modernist artworks from other French artists like Cezanne, Utrillo, Renoir, and Laurencin as well as some African art.

Situated next to Place de la Concorde, the Orangerie was originally built in 1852 in the western corner of Jardin des Tuileries to protect the orange trees during winter. It was transformed into a museum to showcase the works of living artists after World War I.

Musée de l’Orangerie offers free entry for all visitors every first Sunday of the month. Those under 18, EU citizens between 18-25 years old and those with disabilities are also entitled to free entry at any time of the year. Time slot bookings are required for all visitors, whether paid or free. Note that the museum is closed on Tuesdays. See more ticket details here.

Fans of Monet will want to visit the Musée Marmottan Monet in the posh 16th arrondissement as it has the world’s largest collection of Monet art pieces—130 pieces in total. Many of these works were donated by Michel Monet, son of the artist himself who inherited his late father’s works and bequeathed them to the museum when he passed in 1966.

Many of these paintings had not been exhibited during Claude Monet’s lifetime and were first seen when the Musée Marmottan Monet opened in the 1970s. The most important Monet work here is Impression, Soleil Levant (Impression, Sunrise, 1872), the work credited with giving the entire Impressionism movement its name. Other rare works of note include the last paintings of Le Pont Japonais (The Japanese Bridge 1918) and La Maison vue du Jardin Aux Roses (The House Seen from the Rose Garden, 1922).

Other than Monet, Impressionist fans should check out the Berthe Morisot collection, one of the few well-known female artists of that era and one of Monet’s contemporaries. The Musée Marmottan Monet also houses a diverse collection of Middle Ages, Renaissance and 19th century art by Jules and Paul Marmottan, a father-son pair who were the previous owners of the stately mansion in which the museum is housed.

Musée Marmottan Monet offers free entry for those with disabilities and children under seven years old. Those under 18 years, students under 25 years, and teachers enjoy discounted entry. There are extended hours on Thursdays when the museum will close at 9 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. Take advantage of the cheaper admission fee during this extended time slot. Note that the museum is closed on Mondays. See more ticket details here.

If you want to experience Monet’s French countryside paintings in real life, take a day trip out of downtown Paris to see Fondation Monet and the gardens that inspired many of Monet’s most famous paintings.

Monet spent a large part of his later years in his house and gardens in Giverny, Normandy, about 50 miles from Paris. You can walk through the site that’s the subject of so many of his masterpieces hanging in galleries around the world like the water garden with the water lily pond, the Japanese bridge covered with wisterias, and the blooming flowers all around the garden.

You won’t see many actual art pieces by Monet while you are here–head to the museums in Paris for that–but you can pop into the small Musée des impressionnismes (Museum of Impressionism) down the road that showcases other Impressionist artists from that time period. You can also drop by the cemetery where Claude Monet and his family members were laid to rest.

Giverny is about 45 minutes away from Paris by train–the closest stop is Gare de Vernon. There’s a shuttle bus to Giverny that leaves Vernon 15 minutes after the train arrives. The gardens are typically open every day from April 1 to November 1, with free entry for children under 7 years old and discounted tickets for students and those with disabilities. More details here.

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