Art Museums & Famous Artworks all over France

A Guide to the Best Art Museums for Seeing the Famous Artwork of the Impressionists

Going to France? Want to know where you can view the most famous artwork of the French Impressionists? Look no further!! Below is a comprehensive list of the BEST museums in France.

France was the artistic hub in the 19th century. With such an important historical legacy, France boasts of amazing art museums, scattered throughout the country.

However, many of the art museums for viewing the famous artworks of the Impressionists are located in the following regions:

1. Paris
2. Normandy; and
3. Southern France

Where to View French Impressionists & their Famous Artworks in Paris:

• Musée d’Orsay – owns the largest collection of French impressionism art in the world! It is a MUST for all impressionism fans!
• Musee Marmottan Monet houses a small but important collection of Impressionism paintings. This museum also owns the largest Claude Monet collection anywhere in the world.
• Musee de l’Orangerie exhibits an impressive collection of Impressionism paintings, including Monet’s massive Water Lilies “Nympheas”
• Musee Picasso – showcases the world’s best collection of artworks by Pablo Picasso. The museum also displays many impressionism and postimpressionism paintings.
• Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris or MAMVP – is a wonderful modern and contemporary art museum displaying artworks of the 20^th and 21^st centuries. The museum is HUGE! Here you will find artworks starting from the post impressionism art movement to the present day. If you are a lover of modern art, this museum is a MUST!

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Where to View the Impressionists in Normandy:

• Le Havre – Musée des Beaux-Arts André Malraux (MuMa). This museum owns one of the best French Impressionist Art collections in France. In addition, there are impressive exhibitions of the Normandy artists Eugene Boudin and Raoul Dufy.
• Rouen – Musee des Beaux-Arts. This museum has an impressive collection of European paintings. Here you will view artworks by The French painters Delacroix, Corot, Gustave Moreau, Monet & others
• Giverny – Impressionism Museum focuses on the history of Impressionism & post-impressionism art. It is also located next to the house & gardens of Claude Monet. Press here for more information.

The below tours offer visits to the beautiful art museums as well as other beautiful sites in the Normandy region.

The Best French Impressionism Art Museums in Southern France:

Nice & the Post Impressionist Museums:

• Musee Chagall Nice – is a magificent museum dedicated to the Belarus-Russian painter Marc Chagall. Here you will view a fantastic collection of his colorful paintings. This museum is particularly famous for Chagall’s biblical series.
• Musee Henri Matisse – is devoted to the life long artistic achievements of Henri Matisse. The museum showcases his paintings, paperworks, drawings and his beautiful sculptures.

Antibes:

• Musee Picasso Antibes is a fabulous museum dedicated to Pablo Picasso. The building is a beautifully restored medieval castle, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea . The museum offers a fabulous collection of Picasso paintings, sculptures and ceramics.

Saint Paul de Vence

• Fondation Maeght is a stunning, independent museum of modern art. The collection is AMAZING. It showcases fantastic artworks of Miro, Giacometti, Chagall, Braque and many more. The sculpture gardens are magnificent.

Provence:

• Musée Granet, Aix-en-Provence – This wonderful museum owns an impressive collection of Cezanne and post-impressionist artists.

Musee Toulouse-Lautrec in Albi – An Impressive Collection of the Painter’s most Famous Artwork

90 kms from Toulouse is the hometown of Henri de Toulouse Lautrec, Albi. It is a gorgeous, medieval city in the Occitanie region. There is plenty to do and see here.

One fantastic attraction in Albi is the Toulouse-Lautrec art museum. The museum is housed in a beautiful historical building, once a bishop’s palace. The building itself and the surrounding gardens are worth a visit in their own right. 

The museum owns the largest collection of Toulouse-Lautrec artworks anywhere in the world. The collection includes more than 29 posters,  over 200 paintings, more than 500 drawings and 183 lithographs.  

If you are a fan, then you MUST visit. Press here for more information.