The Seine runs through it
The Isle of the Impressionists in Chatou
Sisley, Monet, Renoir, Degas and Manet all set up their easels here. These great Impressionist painters of the late 19th century all made the island of Chatou, or ile des impressionnistes, one of their favourite sources of inspiration. Let's discover this timeless place with many assets!
An ancient archipelago
Today’s Isle of the Impressionists is actually made up of several natural islands. At the end of the 18th century, to create a stronger current and improve the efficiency of the Machine de Marly, initially intended to supply water to the Château de Versailles, a dyke was built between the large island, the hamlet of Fournaise, and the island of Chiard, where the mall is located. The island of Chatou is also joined to the island of Chaussée de Croissy by another dyke.
And the Fournaise hamlet was…
While Alphonse Fournaise, a boat builder in Chatou, rented out his boats, his wife opened an iconic inn, “La Maison Fournaise”. It was a great success! The joyous society of the 19th century escaped the society expectations of the Second Empire, and here Maupassant and Flaubert cavorted with beautiful damsels, common girls and demi-mondaines.
The Belle Epoque and creativity
The painters revelled in this jovial atmosphere and created without counting the cost. Did you know that Renoir painted some thirty pictures here, including the famous “Déjeuner des canotiers”?
This artists’ haven also boasts Monet, Manet, Degas, Caillebotte, Courbet and many other happy companions.
The Isle of the Impressionists today
From this period of splendour, which made the place famous to the point of giving it its name, there remains the Fournaise restaurant with its pretty red shutters and epic caricatures. This former ‘guinguette’, a small restaurant with music and dancing, which once threatened to fall into ruin, is now a listed historic monument.
Opposite, les Rives de la Courtille a lovely, more recent but also more affordable 2-storey wooden restaurant, is a carbon copy of the water stations that existed on the island in the second half of the 19th century.
The Fournaise museum and the Séquana association
The Fournaise museum next door to the restaurant of the same name, provides an insight into history and the Impressionist movement.
And since September 2019, it’s been bringing the great Pierre Auguste Renoir back to life with a brand-new show trail featuring holograms, special effects and immersive experiences. To begin with, Alphonse Fournaise, owner of the artist’s favourite establishment, offers us a warm welcome. Then comes THE meeting with the great Renoir, via an actor more like him than ever, and his revelations about his life, his aspirations, his artistic project and his works. And even a moving testimonial from Alphonsine Fournaise, the painter’s friend and muse. Finally, some games, and a dive back into the year 1880!
A little further on, the Sequana association is trying to revive the Seine’s nautical heritage by restoring emblematic boats of the era, such as the vessel “Madame” on which Maupassant took Mistinguett for a boat ride. “But in the end, tourists are quite rare,” lamented Peter Ruiter. “There’s no rush on the island.”
A place to relax…and go for walks!
The rest of the time, the island, uninhabited year-round, is a great place for a Sunday outing, with children’s play areas, a rope net pyramid, picnic tables and a pétanque (boules) area.
Nearby you’ll see the ponies of the Chatou pony club as well as the Galerie Bessières, a crossroads for contemporary art, a forthcoming tourist information office, and upstream, the Ile Fleurie golf course.
Finally, for the more active, the island is criss-crossed by two major cycle routes: the Avenue Verte London-Paris and the Seine à vélo. It is also the starting point for several Impressionist walks, such as the Monet circuit and the Renoir circuit, enjoy a relaxing stroll while admiring the reproductions of paintings and the superb colours of the Seine along the way.
Proof that, more than a century later, without a guinguette or a boat maker, the Isle of the Impressionists retains a special atmosphere.
Events all year round!
When night falls in September, the Hameau Fournaise sparkles to welcome the Lumières Impressionnistes Festival. On the programme: dance, sound and light shows, exhibitions and artistic performances to celebrate the Impressionists and the great painters who left their mark on history.
In a completely different style of musical entertainment, for the past seven years, the island of Chatou has played host to the Elektric Park Festival and its 20,000 electro music fans.
Another major traditional event takes place here: the Foire de Chatou which has been held on the island in spring and autumn for the past forty years, with a special focus on antiques.