April in Paris (at the Met)

Camille Pissarro (French, 1830–1903). The Garden of the Tuileries on a Spring Morning, 1899. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Partial and Promised Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Dillon, 1992 (1992.103.3)

«Known as the "City of Light" and the "City of Love," Paris is the world-renowned capital of romance. Its wide boulevards and enchanting architecture have captured the hearts and imaginations of artists, writers, and architects for centuries. But you don't have to get on a plane to enjoy the delightful sights of this historic city; spend April in Paris right here at the Met with French works of art from the collection and special Paris-related exhibitions.»

See photographs of a bygone era in the exhibitions Charles Marville: Photographer of Paris and Paris as Muse: Photography, 1840s–1930s. On your stroll through the galleries, you'll encounter sweeping vistas, streetscapes, and sidewalk cafés, and even do a little window shopping.

Charles Marville (French, 1813–1879). [Rue de Constantine], ca. 1865. Albumen silver print from glass negative. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Gift, through Joyce and Robert Menschel, 1986 (1986.1141)

Continue your trip to Paris by wandering through the nineteenth-century European Paintings galleries, where works by the likes of Claude Monet, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Georges Seurat, and Camille Pissarro capture the city's busy streets, lively nightclubs, tranquil gardens, and leisurely getaways in all seasons.

View of gallery 818, which contains key early works by Claude Monet

You've covered photography and painting, but your tour would be incomplete without masterpieces of French sculpture. Visit The Passions of Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux to see about 150 works completed over the course of Carpeaux's brief but stormy career.

View of a gallery in the current exhibition The Passions of Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux

The exhibitions and nineteenth-century paintings galleries are located on the second floor, where you might also enjoy a light snack and a cocktail or glass of wine while listening to live classical music in the Great Hall Balcony Bar (on Friday and Saturday evenings). For the month of April, the Balcony Bar will also be offering a special La Vie en Rose cocktail made with Prosecco and Chambord and garnished with fresh rose petals.

On Friday, April 25, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., we'll be celebrating the city of love with the gallery program An April Evening in Paris in the Great Hall. The program includes a short "Meet Your Match" quiz that will allow participants to discover their perfect artwork match in the Met's collection. On this evening only, the Balcony Lounge will offer a special Paris-themed cocktail list. As Jerry Saltz wrote in New York Magazine, the Met in the evening "is calmer and harks back to another time when museums were mysterious rather than bustling."

If you're not able to visit the Met in person, you can explore our exhibitions and permanent collection online on our Paris Pinterest board.

Related Links
Suggested Itinerary: April in Paris
Gallery Program: An April Evening in Paris (Friday, April 25, 2014, 6:30–8:30 p.m.)
Charles Marville: Photographer of Paris (on view through May 4, 2014)
Paris as Muse: Photography, 1840s–1930s (on view through May 4, 2014)
The Passions of Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (on view through May 26, 2014)