On the banks of the Seine is a flower-bedecked garden and “en plein air” art museum with more than 50 large sculptures by artists from all over the world. If you’re looking for something to do on a sunny day in Paris, and fancy a picnic or a meander along the Quai Saint-Bernard, then Musée de la Sculpture en Plein Air provides a lovely afternoon.
“En plein air” revue of Modern and post-Modern sculpture
How many times have I been to Paris in the past 15 years and how have I never happened upon the Musée de la Sculpture en Plein Air? I rectified this error on a recent visit to the City of Light.
Our little city break was only a weekend, and we found ourselves on the Sunday with a spare hour before heading to the airport – not enough time, really, to see one of the major attractions, so after consulting TripAdvisor (of course!), we opted for a little stroll along the Seine to enjoy the weather and have a look at the 50-some public sculptures located along the Quai Saint-Bernard (between the Pont de Sully and the Pont d’Austerlitz).
The “open-air sculpture museum” opened in 1980 in the Square Tino Rossi, and displays works by artists from across the globe, including France, Japan, Bulgaria, and South America, with some famous names such as César and Constantin Brancusi among them.
As it had finally stopped raining (and the Seine’s flooding had receded a bit), it seems a lot of other people had the same idea for a leisurely Sunday afternoon; there were dog-walkers, lovers canoodling, families having a picnic, and there were even a number of couples learning the tango.
If you’ve had your fill of cathedrals and indoor museums, and the weather’s fine, a visit to Musée de la Sculpture en Plein Air is an hour well-spent!
Read more about Musée de la Sculpture en Plein Air in Paris
- Parisinfo’s official tourist page about Musée de la Sculpture en Plein Air in Paris
- A list of sculptures in Musée de la Sculpture en Plein Air – Wikipedia
- Another list of some of the sculptures in Musée de la Sculpture en Plein Air – with photos
- London’s version of an”en plein air” art museum is the annual Sculpture in the City
Exhibition details: Musée de la Sculpture en Plein Air is located in Jardin Tino Rossi, 75005 Paris, France, on the left bank of the Seine at Quai Saint-Bernard. Free entrance, step-free access.
kelise soixante-douze 