Muses, Maurice Denis, 1898.

Denis was much involved in the aesthetic debates of his time and during the 1890s, painted bold pictures in which the rhythm, the flat-tone colours, and the composition, all went to infuse the work with a decorative force. Later, influenced by the art of classical Italy, he went on to create larger, more classical compositions. The public are able to follow this development in a display which highlights his major pieces, some of which have rarely been shown.

An important place has been accorded to his large decorative series', in particular to a reconstitution of The Story of Psyche (Saint-Petersburg, The Hermitage Museum), which was made in 1908 for the private mansion of one of the greatest art collectors in Moscow, Ivan Morozov.

During the inter-war period, Maurice Denis was one of the most important decorative artists, being commissioned to decorate buildings as varied as theatres, churches and public buildings.

To complement the exhibition, a Maurice Denis walk will take place on the Ile-de-France, enabling participants to appreciate those decorative features which have remained in their original settings; imposing works which testify to the revival of monumental art in the first half of the 20th century (Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, église Notre-Dame du Raincy, etc.).

Parallel presentations of Denis' drawings and photographs in supplementary exhibitions will also provide a wider panorama of his work.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION:

Access
entrance to the museum and exhibitions by the square 1, rue de la Légion d'Honneur :
* for individual visitors without ticket on the side of the river Seine, entrance A
* for members (Carte Blanche and MuséO holders), visitors with tickets or passes or with priority on the side of the rue de Lille, entrance C
* for adults in groups
on the side of the river Seine, entrance B
* for school groups
on the side of the rue de Lille, entrance D

Transportation
Buses: 24, 63, 68, 69, 73, 83, 84, and 94
Métro: line 12, Solférino station
RER: line C, Musée d'Orsay station
Boat: Batobus
Taxis: Rue de Solférino and Quai Anatole-France
Car parks: Deligny, Louvre and Montalembert

Opening Hours
The museum is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9.30am to 6pm and on Thursdays from 9.30am to 9.45pm
Tickets sold until 5pm, 9pm on Thursdays
Galleries start closing at 5.30pm, 9.15pm on Thursdays
The museum is open on Easter Sunday, on May 25, on July 14, on November 1 and on November 11
The museum is shut on Mondays.
and on January 1, May 1 and December 25

2006 Ticket Prices
Ticket for the museum and exhibitions including Maurice Denis
Full price : 9 Euros
Reduced rate : 7 Euros
Museum Pass-holders and teachers : 1.5 Euro
On Sundays and from 4.15 pm (8 pm on Thursdays): 7 Euros

For further information, you can visit the following website:
Musee d'Orsay