The Musee d'Orsay originally was a rail station built in 1900 for the Paris Centennial. It became a derelict after WWII, and was scheduled for demolition in the late 70's,
In the 1980's, it was rescued and converted into a magnificent museum with wonderful lighting.

THis interior view shows the area devoted to sculpture of the 19th century.
Light floods in from above through the massive barrel-vaulted skylight ,
that once lit the area for incoming and'departing trains in the early to mid 20th century.

On several floors on each side of this main gallery, large open areas house major Impressionist and
Post Impressionist paintings from that period.