Musée d'Orsay Presents Gustave Moreau's 'Orphée' (1865) in Permanent Collection
The Musée d'Orsay displays Gustave Moreau's 1865 oil-on-wood painting "Orphée" in its permanent collection, located in Salle 59 on the museum's median level. The work depicts the mythological poet Orpheus's severed head resting on a lyre, held by a girl in Oriental finery in a twilight landscape. The diagonal composition, golden chiaroscuro, and ambiguous mood exemplify Moreau's mature style as a decisive figure in the Symbolist movement. The painting was acquired directly from the artist in 1866.
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The piece offers insight into Moreau's transition toward a semi-fantastic, Symbolist aesthetic that influences collectors of 19th-century French painting. Its placement in the permanent galleries underscores the museum's commitment to showcasing lesser-seen masterworks alongside canonical Impressionist and Post-Impressionist holdings.
- Artists: Gustave Moreau
- Museums: Musée d'Orsay
- Locations: Paris
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