Orangery Museum

In 1852, Napoleon III commissioned the construction of the Orangerie, which was intended to protect the citrus trees of the Tuileries garden from the harsh winter weather. The building was designed by architect Firmin Bourgeois, who opted for a glass construction on the south-facing Seine side to allow natural light to reach the trees. However, the north-facing side of the building is mostly devoid of windows to shield the citrus trees from cold winds. Prior to the construction of the Orangerie, the trees were kept in the Grande Galerie of the Louvre. The building's main entrances on the east and west were embellished by architect Louis Visconti, who also oversaw renovations on the Louvre. The columns situated at the entrances are adorned with triangular pediments, which were sculpted by Charles Gallois-Poignant. The columns' tops feature cornucopias, plants, and ears of corn that are relevant to the Orangerie's agricultural purpose. Following the fall of the Empire in 1870 and the fire at the Tuileries Palace in 1871, the Orangerie became the property of the State, which continued to use it for its original purpose and for public events such as music concerts, art exhibitions, contests, and dog shows until 1922.

The Orangerie underwent changes after World War I, when it was given to the Under-Secretariat of State for Fine Arts in 1921, along with the Jeu de Paume. The buildings were intended to serve as a venue for contemporary artists to showcase their work. At the time, Claude Monet was commissioned to paint a series of Water Lilies paintings for the State, originally intended for display at the Rodin museum. However, Georges Clemenceau, the President of the Council, requested that the paintings be displayed at the Orangerie instead.

The Water Lilies donation to the Orangerie was completed in 1922. Monet collaborated with architect Camille Lefèvre to design two oval rooms in the shape of an infinity symbol, featuring eight panels that were each two meters high and spanned a length of 91 meters. Monet also requested skylights to ensure that the paintings could be viewed in natural light. Because of the building's east to west orientation, the rooms are in line with the path of the sun, which stretches along the same axis as the Arc de Triomphe to the Louvre. The museum was inaugurated on May 17, 1927, a few months after Monet's death, as the Musée Claude Monet. It was later incorporated into the Musée du Luxembourg and officially renamed the Musée National de l'Orangerie des Tuileries.

In 1930, the Orangerie merged with the Louvre and its western half was designated for temporary exhibitions featuring works from the Louvre and other national museums in France. The Orangerie played host to a diverse range of exhibitions every year, including a notable impressionism exhibit from 1930 to 1933. In 1934, the Peintres de la réalité exhibition focused on the 17th century and garnered great acclaim. The Rubens et son temps exhibition in 1936 attracted one million visitors to the museum, while a 1937 exhibition was dedicated entirely to Degas. In 1942, an exhibition showcasing the work of Arno Breker, an official artist of the Third Reich who studied in France, was held. After WWII ended in 1946, the French Commission for Art Recovery and the Monuments Men recovered numerous masterpieces from private collections in Germany, which were then displayed in the Orangerie. The Orangerie was closely associated with the Paintings Department of the Louvre and hosted successful exhibitions organized by the Réunion des Musées Nationaux between 1946 and 1960. The success of the Orangerie exhibitions ultimately led to the construction of the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais in 1964.

In 1959 and 1963, the Jean Walter and Paul Guillaume collections were obtained. Domenica Walter was the wife of both Jean Walter and Paul Guillaume, who was an art dealer with a vision to create a public museum of French modern art. After his death, the State offered to showcase the collection at the Orangerie, which Domenica agreed to. The renovation project to make room for the new acquisition was carried out by Olivier Lahalled from 1960 to 1965. The existing galleries were demolished and two levels were added to the building. Raymond Subes designed a staircase with a banister to replace the entrance to the Water Lillies paintings and lead to rooms displaying the new collection. The collection was officially presented to the public in 1966 and inaugurated by the Minister of Culture, André Malraux, but Domenica remained the owner of the paintings until her death in 1977. From 1978 to 1984, a third renovation project took place to consolidate the buildings, refurbish the rooms, and permanently house the collection which was then given to the Orangerie after Domenica's death. This caused the Orangerie to become separate from the administration of the Louvre and the Jeu de Paume, which had impressionist paintings that would later be destined for the Musée d’Orsay.

Between 2000 and 2006, the Water Lillies at the museum underwent a renovation by Olivier Brochet. The two-level rooms were removed and the natural light was brought back to the area. Moreover, additional rooms were excavated from the basement level to display the Jean Walter and Paul Guillaume collection. Other features such as temporary exhibition spaces, an auditorium, an education space, and a library were also added. However, the renovation project faced delays and changes due to the discovery of remains of the Louis XIII wall, which was constructed in 1566 to protect the Tuileries Palace. Finally, the museum reopened on May 17th, 2006.

In 2010, the Orangerie and the Musée d'Orsay were administratively linked under the Établissement public des musées d'Orsay et de l'Orangerie - Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (EPMO). Even today, the restored Water Lillies gallery at the Orangerie occasionally hosts dance and piano concerts and other events.