Say Bonjour to Beauty: French museums you can’t miss

France is home to some of the most celebrated art museums in the world, offering a rich journey through centuries of creativity, innovation, and cultural heritage. From classical masterpieces to modern marvels, here are some must-see art museums that should be on every art lover’s itinerary:

Musée des Beaux-Arts

Lyon’s Musée des Beaux-Arts was founded in 1801 and is located in a former 17th-century Benedictine convent. The building of the abbey (or convent) was converted into a museum in 1792, after a decision by the Municipal Council to use the building as a place to conserve objects of value such as medals and bronzes, amongst other artistically valuable objects.

As one of the most important museums in Europe, it houses collections over a wide range of genres including ancient Egyptian artefacts, and Modern Art paintings.

Within the paintings collection, European 14th-20th-century works are displayed chronologically and according to the key schools, across thirty-five rooms, making up half of the museum’s overall collection. The diverse range of painting eras within the collection consist of 16th-18th-century medieval French painting, 19th-century French painting, 14th-18th century Italian painting, 17th-century medieval Spanish painting, 16th-17th-century medieval German, Flemish, and Dutch painting as well as 20th-century painting.

Musée Fabre

The Musée Fabre is one of Montpellier’s main tourist attractions and is also an important French cultural centre. It was made a Musée de France by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, and therefore is given financial support from the State.

The museum was founded in 1825 by François-Xavier Fabre (a painter from Montpellier) when he donated a large collection of artworks to the town. In 1828 the museum collection was established within the Hotel de Massillian, and the exhibition grew considerably as other collectors donated their collections to the museum, following Fabre’s lead. Amongst these collectors, of particular note is Antoine Valedau who donated an assortment of Dutch and Flemish masterworks. The museum hosts temporary exhibitions and offers lectures and conferences for the public on specialised topics in its auditorium. Also offered by the museum are private tours; thus offering visitors the opportunity to experience the museum outside of opening hours.

Musée d’Art moderne de la ville de Paris

The Musée d’Art moderne de la ville de Paris opened in 1961, focusing the exhibit on a core collection from the Petit Palais’s contemporary collection. The exhibition was boosted by a generous loan from the art collectors Sarmiento, Amos, and Vollard.

The Palais de Tokyo, in whose eastern wing the museum is located, was initially designed for the 1937 International Art and Technical Exhibition, providing the opportunity for several impressive acquisitions to be made. These include Matisse’s The Dance of Paris, works by Bonnard, Delauney, Derain, Leger, Lhote, de Metzinger, Vuillard, as well as furniture designed and made by Chareau, Arbu, and Ruhlmann. The Salon des Realités Nouvelles donated murals by Delauney, Gleizes, and Villon in 1939. However, it was the generously large 1953 Girardin bequest which was the catalyst for the decision to move the museum from the confined exhibit space of the Petit Palais to its own area within the Palais de Tokyo.

Musée du Louvre

The building of the Louvre itself – the Louvre Palace – has a history as compelling as the works housed inside it. Originally a fortress built in 12th-century France, the building received numerous extensions, leading to it becoming the French Royal Palace. Its role as royal residence diminished upon the Royal Family and Court’s quitting of the Palace in favour of the luxurious Versailles Palace, the decision was made to utilise the residence instead for the purposes of displaying the art collection of the Royal Family. The period of the French Revolution proved to be not only a time for change for the country of France, but also for the Musée du Louvre, as it was given the office of public museum.

Although the museum opened with a mere 537 paintings in 1793, the collection increased greatly under the rule of Napoleon. After Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo, the museum returned many of the artworks, which had been seized by the Napoleonic Army, to the original owners. The rules of Louis XVIII and Charles X, as well as the period of the Second French Empire increased the museum’s collection again, as it gained over 20,000 works of art.

Egyptian, Near Eastern, Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities, Islamic Art, Sculpture, Decorative Arts, Paintings, Prints and Drawings are the main departments that are curated in the Louvre. The large variety of the collection, in addition to the fame of the museum itself, may account for the large number of visitors that the museum receives – about 15,000 each day.

Musée d’Orsay

The Musée d’Orsay was originally a railway station, which was built to host the 1900 World Exhibition. After the introduction of longer trains, the platforms of the station became too short to use. It served several different purposes over the years: a mailing centre during World War II, a film set for The Trial adapted by Orson Welles, and an auction house, and was eventually listed as a Historic Monument in 1978.

The Directorate of the Museums of France suggested that the station be converted into a museum, one that would be middle ground between the classical collection of the Louvre and the modernity of the Museum of Modern Art at the Georges Pompidou Centre. François Mitterrand, then President of the Republic, opened the new Orsay Museum in 1986, at which point it was exhibiting 2,000 paintings and 600 sculptures.

Today the museum is known for exhibiting the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world.

Musée national d’Art moderne, Centre Georges-Pompidou

As well as housing the National Modern Art Museum (the largest in Europe), the Centre Georges Pompidou also hosts the Public Information Library and IRCAM, a centre for music and acoustic research. The museum is named after the 19th President of France, whose decision it was to create the museum.

Opened to the public in 1977, Centre Georges Pompidou courted much controversy after its construction. However, since then the museum building has received much recognition for being one of the most eminent architectural triumphs of the 20th century.

Now, the museum harbours over 60,000 art works, paying specific attention to prominent artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. In the past, exhibitions have included works from the likes of Picasso and Leger (collections are displayed on a six-month rotational basis), and Matisse and Chagall are also extremely well represented within the Centre Pompidou’s collection.

Musée de l’Orangerie

Famed for Monet’s large-format Water Lilies, this museum also houses works from the Jean Walter and Paul Guillaume collections, including Renoir, Modigliani, and Matisse.

From grand historical collections to cutting-edge contemporary exhibitions, these museums highlight the depth and diversity of French and global art. Whether you’re in Paris or exploring the regions, France is a true paradise for art lovers.

If you wish to see additional European museums, check out our posts on Italy and Spain.

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