Fondation Claude Monet Giverny

84 RUE CLAUDE MONET, 27620 GIVERNY

The Claude Monet Foundation in Giverny in the Eure, between Vernon and Gasny houses the house and garden of Claude Monet, master of Impressionism. The painter's home is surrounded by beautiful gardens which Claude Monet liked to take care of - gardening being one of his passions. Claude Monet, born November 14, 1840 in Paris and died in his last home in Giverny on December 5, 1926, decided in 1883 to settle in this small Norman village he discovers in favor of a trip by train. He chose a farmer's house at a place called "Le Pressoir", lined with a kitchen garden and an orchard called "Le Clos Normand. In 1890, he bought the house and redecorated it according to the chromatic range he likes: blue, yellow, green and pink. At this time, Monet's house is decorated with Japanese prints while the garden and its flowers are cared for by Claude Monnet and his gardeners. After the death of the painter, his heirs, not attracted by this house, and pay no attention ot the house and grdens. In 1977, the Academy of Fine Arts, to whom the house was bequeathed, began a restoration with the financial support of American patrons and the General Council of the Department of Eure. The work lasts three years. In 1980, the Claude Monet Foundation was created and the reopenning took place on 1 June 1980. Since then, it allows a large public from all over the world to rediscover the house, the workshops, the furniture and the gardens which occupied an important place in the life of the painter. This tourist attraction is the second most popular place in Normandy, after Mont Saint-Michel with more than 500,000 visitors a year. In this beautiful restored house, where Claude Monet lived for 43 years, you will discover the "little blue salon", the living room workshop, the dining room adorned with the collection of Japanese prints, groceries and cooking. On the first floor are located the private apartments of Claude Monet and Alice (his wife), the room of Blanche Hoschedé Monet and the toilets. The gardens, reconstituted identically thanks to the photos and archives of the painter will show you the importance that Claude Monet granted to the play of lights and reflections on the water, as well as his passion for Japan and its gardens. They will serve as a model and inspiration for many paintings. The pool of water lilies, or water garden, serves as a model for the series of "Nymphéas" (exhibited at the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris), the Japanese bridge is present several of his works. The collection of Japanese prints contains major works such as "The Great Wave of Kanagawa" and "Mount Fuji" by Katsushika Hokusai as well as works by Kitagawa Utamaro and Utagawa Hiroshige. The Foundation is just a few miles from Vernon Train Station and shuttles are available. Visitors may have lunch in the various restaurants or snacks of Giverny. The village is also home to the Impressionist Museum. On Ticketmaster, you can buy your individual tickets for adults, children or students for visiting the house and gardens. These are fast-line tickets allowing quicker access to the visit.