Barbizon

The history of impressionism in Barbizon

Nicknamed the "Bethlehem of modern painting" by the painter Jules Breton (1827-1906), Barbizon is indeed one of the cradles of pre-impressionist and colorist painting, in the same way as Auvers-sur-Oise or Villiers-sur-Morin near Crécy-la-Chapelle.
This small hamlet of lumberjacks depended on the municipality of Chailly-en-Bière, when, in the 1820's, painters started to settle there. Disappointed by the capital, which was considered too academic in terms of art, they wanted to create a real communion between nature and their art. The train linking Paris to Fontainebleau and its forest enabled them to get there easily and to choose this small luminous village where everything remained to be discovered and frozen on canvas for eternity.
A beautiful adventure then began with the warm-hearted Ganne couple as hosts. At first, the pioneer painters who settled there were Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, Théodore Caruelle d'Aligny and Paul Huet. But other artists soon joined them, including Narcisse Diaz de la Peña, Honoré Daumier, Jean-François Millet, Théodore Rousseau, Olivier de Penne, the Swiss David Sutter, Antoine Barye... From 1849 to 1875, no less than sixty artists frequented the village, which was then called Montmartre-sous-Bois.
Today, at 92 Grande-Rue, the Auberge Ganne museum remains a mythical place for many Impressionist enthusiasts, a must-see.

Museums and workshop-houses to discover

An emblematic site of the town, the departmental museum of the Barbizon school is located in the Ganne inn, a famous place where many artists gathered in the 19th century, attracted by the nearby forest of Fontainebleau, which was conducive to calm and inspiration. Edmée Ganne, the wife of a stonemason, ran a grocery store around 1820, which was transformed over time into this welcoming inn. Almost two centuries later, the building offers a rustic and friendly vision of those years, to the point of recreating the atmosphere that the artists imbued in this place. Two floors with simple rooms can be visited: the grocery store, the artists' dining room, the officers' dining room, the bedrooms and dormitories which are now exhibition halls.
On your way out, take a look at Théodore Rousseau's studio house (at 55, Grande-Rue), now used for temporary exhibitions and other cultural events. The Barbizon chapel, which adjoins it, subtly blends stone walls, woodwork and contrasting lighting on the cross of Christ.
Art lovers should also visit Jean-François Millet's house-studio. The first room, the studio, was the birthplace of his main masterpieces(The Angelus, The Gleaners, The Man with the Hoe, The Sower, etc.) and has been preserved in the state left by his widow. This museum with its hushed rooms, all the smaller for being full of various works, should preferably be visited out of season, to fully enjoy the works on display.
But if you are more into contemporary art, you will not be left wanting in Barbizon! The Besharat Museum, at 40 Grand-Rue, exhibits more than 250 works by some thirty contemporary artists. Modern art is presented in its best light, both accessible and spectacular. Atypical and singular works follow one another, sculptures, paintings, diverted accessories, photo prints, visual montages... Four rooms are thus skilfully orchestrated, while a patio and its garden allow the visitors to take some fresh air while contemplating other works.

An oxygenating walk in the forest of Fontainebleau

From Barbizon, you can easily access the Fontainebleau forest and take a walk in the heart of nature after having exercised your neurons in the museums and gone back in time to the Impressionist era.
The largest forest in France, the first protected natural area in the world and recognized by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve, this forest is a marvel of biodiversity with 25,000 hectares of surface area, the majority of which is administered as a national forest. It attracts 13 million visitors every year, who come to stroll around, to discover diverse and original landscapes, and of course, a biotope like no other, with these alignments of biscornus rocks separated by sand valleys of an incredible finesse. If in its center is the beautiful city of Fontainebleau and its castle of all splendor, it would be a shame not to enjoy the forest itself!
On foot, Nordic walking, horseback, cycling, rollerblading ... Solo, duo, family, stroller, these are just some of the ways to hike in Fontainebleau, where several GR (sentiers de grandes randonnées®) and 1,600 km of forest roads pass by, including 300 km of marked trails.
For even more thrills, you can also go climbing in the Fontainebleau forest, where an introductory course awaits you. Since the 1950s, carefully maintained marked routes have been set up to go from rock to rock, and they are coloured by level of difficulty. Remember to bring your climbing shoes and all the equipment necessary for a climbing session beforehand.
But nature lovers will probably prefer a more contemplative outing with less adrenaline to observe the fauna, flora and geology of the Fontainebleau massif which is a source of research and wonder for naturalists. With its 1,331 hectares of biological reserves classified as Natura 2000 sites, it has an impressive number of species of birds, reptiles, insects, butterflies, amphibians and plants that are often rare and protected... To better preserve this exceptional natural environment, the Seine-et-Marne tourist development agency has opened the first ecotourism centre in Ile-de-France on the Franchard site, route de l'Ermitage in the Fontainebleau forest. By visiting it, you will better understand how to prevent human impact on the site, but also on natural areas in general.