The Fantasy of Blue — L’ Orangerie

Unlike other art museums in Paris, the L’ Orangerie’s interior has a color theme of white. Once you get inside to the lobby, the simple decorations and interior design give people a sense of tranquility and calmness. 

There are three floors in L’Orangerie, the second floor is the exhibition hall, the first floor is dedicated for selling souvenirs, and the ground floor is Claude Monet's “Water Lilies” hall. The interior design of the “Water Lilies” Gallery is very special.

 The museum asks all visitors to remain as quiet as possible. All the light sources in the room are from the center of the ceiling, The sun shines through from the outside. This is also the reason why in the fall and winter, the gallery closes early because it starts to get dark around five in the afternoon.

The museum closes earlier than other museums. It is recommended to come to the museum early to avoid the crowds and to ensure good lighting for photos and videos. 

The gallery has a round shape, with a large stone-made seat area in the center, where you can sit and enjoy the natural ray of sunshine while looking at Monet's paintings in dark and cool tones, and enjoying a quiet moment of meditation and tranquility in the morning. The interior design of the gallery, the color tones of the Monet's paintings, and the different lighting at different times of the day create a unique atmospheres of silence. 

I took few pictures of my favorite parts of the Monet’s painting series.

On the second floor of the building, there are other paintings display in the gallery. The paintings are basically centered around a specific moment in the Expressionist movement. Most of the painting's overall color palette is in grayish color with a bit of somber blue. Some of paintings caught my eyes. Together, I felt the haziness and blue through the brush strokes of the painting. The majority of the works reflect a somber realistic atmosphere with a touch of abstraction. 

If you love art, love silence, love meditation, and want to find your own corner in the bustling Paris — a place where you are not disturbed, where you can close your eyes and relax and immerse yourself in the sea of art — then you may want to come to this museum in the 1st arrondissement of Paris to find your piece of tranquility in the early morning.