Les Impressionistes en Privé at Musée Marmottan Monet

To mark its 80th anniversary, the Musée Marmottan Monet has unveiled works by Caillebotte, Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, Degas, Corot and Boudin, among others. These are not second-tier works; they are worthy of the best museums in the world but are rarely seen by the public. Viewing these pieces side-by-side, the choices of these artists become more evident and their departure from convention is rendered even more remarkable.

In fact, the Marmottan Monet is too rich to deserve just one visit. The size of the street facade of the former hunting lodge which houses the museum is misguiding, as you will discover when you enter a narrow gallery that opens on to the temporary exhibition and then leads down to the permanent spaces. This dazzling bunker houses the largest collection of Claude Monet in the world, including Impression, Sunrise, the painting which gave name to the Impressionist movement.

The bulk of Monet’s works shown here came from the artist’s own collection and were bequeathed by his son. It is worth taking your time or coming back to explore the rest of the rooms, with their incalculable treasures which include Napoleon’s heavy-set desk and a room dedicated to medieval illuminated liturgical manuscripts.