30 September 2026 — 24 January 2027

“I Spend My Life Painting”

To mark the centenary of his death, Claude Monet is celebrated with a dedicated trail through the Impressionist galleries (Rooms 29 to 35). Five recently studied or restored paintings reveal a less spontaneous side of his art than one might imagine. Spanning the first decades of his career up to the turn of the century, they show his tireless commitment to painting outdoors and to capturing what he called his “sensations”. With remarkable virtuosity they convey the atmosphere of the banks of the Seine and the swell of the sea, the freshness of spring and the harshness of winter, in landscapes near and far transformed by his brush. Yet behind this dazzling apparent ease lies a relentless search: painting a three-metre-long canvas in his garden, composing a snow scene, producing a life-size image of a family meal with or without guests – and, quite specifically, deciding whether or not to varnish his pictures. These questions, which Monet asked himself, are explored in a display developed with the Centre for Research and Restoration of the Museums of France (C2RMF) and Bénédicte Trémolières, a restorer specialising in the artist, with the participation of several other restorers. Letters shown alongside the paintings bring visitors face to face with the artist himself, in the midst of his work and creative process. Curated by Sylvie Patry, General Curator, head of anniversary programmes at the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée de l’Orangerie, and Anne Robbins, Curator of Paintings, Musée d’Orsay.

Musée d'Orsay