Musée de l'Orangerie

The Musée de l'Orangerie presents Claude Monet's monumental Water Lilies in two oval rooms designed specifically for these paintings. Monet donated the eight panels to France the day after the 1918 armistice, intending them as a "monument to peace." The museum, originally built as a greenhouse for the Tuileries Garden's orange trees, was converted to display these works. The curved walls and natural light from above create an immersive environment where viewers stand surrounded by Monet's late vision of his Giverny water garden.

Beyond the Water Lilies rooms, the museum holds the Walter-Guillaume collection of Impressionist and early modern painting. Works by Renoir, Cézanne, Picasso, and Modigliani fill the lower galleries. The collection reflects dealer Paul Guillaume's taste and was donated by his widow. The intimate scale makes the Orangerie feel less overwhelming than larger Paris museums while holding masterworks of comparable quality.