subject: Get Arty In Paris [print this page] If you're into your art then there are few places that can compete with Paris. The romantic city is so full of galleries that people will not know where to visit first, from world-famous museums like the Louvre to lesser-known attractions like the Maurice Denis Museum.
The Louvre
Unquestionably iconic, the Louvre museum is instantly recognisable thanks to its glass pyramids. It is home to thousands of classic and modern masterpieces, with plenty of world-renowned paintings - most famously the Mona Lisa.
It contains more than 35,000 pieces of artwork, which are spread across numerous departments. These include Near Eastern Antiquities, Egyptian Antiquities, Greek, Etruscan, Roman Antiquities, Islamic Art, Paintings, Decorative Arts and Prints and Drawings.
Dali Museum
Salvador Dali's life is celebrated at the fantastic Dali Museum, which celebrates him not only as a great artist but also a flamboyant character. It focuses particularly on the creative processes that produced some of his most famous works, and boasts a fine collection of his paintings, drawings, cartoons and sculptures.
However, many of Dali's fans were concerned that the Surrealist's notorious antics were overshadowing his work in the field.
Centre Pompidou
One of Paris' most famous art galleries, the Centre Pompidou is certainly worth a visit for those into their contemporary art. Art forms studied within the Pompidou include Fauvism, Cubism, Abstract Impressionism and Surrealism.
Some 50,000 works of art are contained within the museum, with 1,500 to 2,000 of these being on display to visitors of the National Museum of Modern Art.
People who are worried about finding the gallery need not worry, as the Centre Pompidou definitely stands out from the crowd.
Maurice Denis Museum
As the name suggests, this is less of a gallery and more of a historical exhibit, but people who are interested in learning more about Maurice Denis - the French symbolist painter and theoretician of the Nabi School - will be delighted to visit.
Maurice Denis rented the building and the grounds, living and working there until his death in 1943.
People visiting the museum will learn a bit about the Nabi school, which Denis was a significant part of. The school were concerned with God and mysticism, and their main emphasis was on artistic methodology.
The Nabis believed that when an artist strove simply for resemblance, they did not achieve art, but merely description.
The Museum of Decorative Arts
This arty museum combines art and history like no other. Within the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, people will find more than 150,000 objects of French craftsmanship and decorative art.
According to the museum: "There is not a single technique, material, or type of object that cannot be found in the Arts Dcoratifs."
Highlights of the museum include scenic wallpaper, stained glass, wood, enamel, plastic, shark's skin and even dolls houses.
The Orsay Museum
Last, but certainly not least, is the Orsay Museum, which is a famous museum dedicated to displaying art from the period 1848 to 1915. Works from a number of iconic painters are featured, including Delacroix, Manet, Gauguin, Cezanne, Monet, Renoir, Sisley and Van Gogh.
Georgina Black
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