Paris' Orsay Museum opens up the wonders of art restoration to the public gaze

Art restorers work on Gustave Courbet's painting titled 'A Burial At Ornans' - created between 1849 and 1850 - at the Orsay Museum in Paris. Photo: AP

As they painstakingly scrape grime off a monumental painting by French artist Gustave Courbet, the restorers do a remarkable job of ignoring their unusual surroundings: They're watched by crowds of people, many recording on mobile phones.

Paris' Orsay Museum has thrown open to the public a process that often happens behind closed doors.