Cinema at last, our photos of the exhibition on the emergence of the 7th art at the Musée d'Orsay

All cinephiles are familiar with "L'arrivée du train en gare" or "La sortie de l'usine", the very first "animated photographs" shot and projected by the Lumière brothers in 1895. A minor technological, artistic, cultural and social revolution, it was one of a series of experiments and devices that brought images to life.

The Musée d'Orsay recounts the origins of cinema in its exhibition Enfin le cinéma! Arts, images et spectacles en France (1833-1907), on view from September 28, 2021 to January 16, 2022.

Over 300 works, objects and films make up this original exhibition organized in partnership with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Los Angeles, the CNC, Gaumont and Pathé.

• To be read
• Tips for the week of October 7 to 13, 2024 in Paris: free or inexpensive outings
• What to do in Paris and the Paris Region in October 2024? Our tips and ideas for outings
• Free museums and monuments: places to visit this Sunday, October 6, 2024 in Paris

We (re)discover creations from the very early 20th century, by Pierre Bonnard, Auguste Rodin, Léon Gaumont, Alice Guy, Auguste and Louis Lumière, Georges Méliès, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot and Charles Pathé. From anonymous artists to cultural icons, from masterpieces to visual experiments, this tour of the Musée d'Orsay takes us back to the beginnings of cinema.

All these artists were fascinated by modern technology and its ability to represent the living world. As a direct extension of 19th-century artistic movements such as naturalism and realism, the first "directors" indulged their fantasy of "integral realism".

The Musée d'Orsay's exhibition takes us back to those early days in a thematic tour that highlights the power of cinema and its rapid conquest of the public's heart. The influence of Fine Arts, Impressionism and Art Nouveau, dedicated theaters, the first screenplays and original creations, elements of curiosity and then events capable of competing with the theater or music hall: cinema underwent a rapid evolution in just ten years.

Immerse yourself in the history of this extraordinary French invention, which has fascinated all classes of society since its inception.

After your visit, and to better appreciate how far you've come, don't hesitate to visit your nearest cinema to see the latest films released that week.