Impressionist Trail Place MalrauxThis 3.5km itinerary invites you to explore the Cœur de Ville, Debussy/Schnapper and Hospital districts through six reproductions of works by three major artists.
Dive into the evolution of the city through the eyes of Impressionist painters Philippe Parrot-Lecomte and Giuseppe De Nittis, and let yourself be swept away by the world of Maurice Denis, an emblematic figure of the Nabi movement.
In the autumn of 1888, Paul Sérusier (1864-1927) brought back from Pont-Aven a small landscape painted under the direction of Paul Gauguin, which was to become the Talisman of a group of young painters formed at the Académie Julian in Paris: the Nabis, a name derived from Arabic and Hebrew meaning “prophets” or “inspired”.
These avant-garde artists at the end of the 19th century are now internationally famous: Maurice Denis, Pierre Bonnard, Paul Ranson (1861-1909) who gave his name to the Academy they founded together in 1908, Henri-Gabriel Ibels the “nabi journalist” and Auguste Cazalis.
They were soon joined by Édouard Vuillard, Ker-Xavier Roussel, Georges Lacombe (1868-1916), the “nabi sculptor”, and Aristide Maillol. Foreigners were not to be outdone, with the Dutchman Jan Verkade, the Dane Mogens Ballin, the Swiss Félix Vallotton and the Hungarian Jozsef Rippl-Ronai.
The Nabis offered their vision of the world through their painting, with its simple, uncluttered forms and straightforward flat tints of colour, breaking with the codes of Impressionism. Their compositions often refer to their respective appetites for esotericism and the occult.
“A word of advice, don’t copy too much from nature. Art is an abstraction. Draw it from nature by dreaming in front of it and think more about the creation than the result.”
Letter from Paul Gauguin to Emile Schuffenecker, Quimperlé, 14 August 1888
The movement was not to have a remarkable lifespan. After a few years, in 1900, the Nabis group dissolved and each went in different directions.
The Talisman 1888
Impressionist Trail Place MalrauxPlace du château, 1890 Philippe Parrot-Lecomte (1859-1936), oil on canvas Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Musée Ducastel-Vera, inv. 2021.6.1. ©Photo: M. Bury.
Parrot-Lecomte, a major artistic figure in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, began his career thanks to Ernest Meissonnier, a renowned painter and sculptor from Poissy, who became his mentor. From the Salon of 1878 onwards, he attracted attention for his initially academic style, which he soon abandoned in favour of a freer, more expressive style. He organised annual exhibitions and designed posters for the famous Fête des Loges, and also taught painting and drawing, with Eva and Marthe Meurier among his pupils. After a first marriage to Eva, which ended quickly, in 1903 he married Blanche Dejean, a well-known pianist, with whom he had two daughters. His works, mainly landscapes of Saint-Germain, portraits and scenes of daily life, were exhibited in regions such as Normandy and Brittany. Although several pieces are held at the Musée municipal Ducastel-Vera, the majority are in private collections, testifying to his lasting impact on local art.
In Paris, Giuseppe De Nittis forged close ties with the masters of Impressionism, notably Manet, Degas and Caillebotte, as evidenced by their correspondence, artistic gifts (Manet painted a portrait of De Nittis, while Degas painted his wife Léontine and their son Jacques) and the works that illustrate their mutual influences. For example, Manet and De Nittis tackled the theme of “Woman with a Cat” within a few months of each other, while Degas and De Nittis each explored the variations in light in Normandy and southern Italy. Caillebotte also shared creative moments with De Nittis in Naples, as can be seen in their paintings “Une route à Naples” and “Sur la route vers Castellammare”, in which the two artists appear to be painting back to back. De Nittis paid tribute to their friendship in “The Road from Naples to Brindisi”, depicting Caillebotte painting from a horse-drawn carriage. Thanks to these friendships, De Nittis took part in the first Impressionist exhibition in Paris in 1874 and opened the Vie Moderne gallery in 1879, consolidating his place in the artistic avant-garde of his time.
De Nittis painting
185. Self-portrait DenisMaurice Denis (1870-1943), an emblematic figure of Symbolism, spent his life in Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Discover his deep connection with the town, now highlighted in the Maurice Denis Museum.
The château park, the forest and the Mare aux canes fed his works, reflecting the changing landscapes and light of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. From his beginnings at 9 rue des Ecuyers to his final move to the Priory, discover where he lived and worked. Explore his creations at the Maurice Denis museum to immerse yourself in the world of this master of symbolism.
Gauguin’s disciples
In the autumn of 1888, Paul Sérusier brought )back from Pont-Aven a small landscape of Bois d’amour painted under the direction of Paul Gauguin, which would become the Talisman of a group of young painters formed at the Académie Julian in Paris: the Nabis, a name derived from Arabic and Hebrew meaning “prophets” or “inspired”. Although they were continuators of Impressionism, they brought a new dimension to painting, which was the transposition of their inner subject, their emotions, and not just “a window open onto nature”.
A group of artist friends
The Nabis were an avant-garde group at the end of the 19th century. These young artists, gathered around Paul Sérusier, are now famous and represented in museums around the world: Maurice Denis, Pierre Bonnard, Paul Ranson who gave his name to the Academy they created together in 1908, Henri-Gabriel Ibels the “nabi journalist” and Auguste Cazalis.
Others would soon join this initial group: Édouard Vuillard, Ker-Xavier Roussel, Georges Lacombe the “nabi sculptor”, and Aristide Maillol.
Foreigners were not to be outdone, with the Dutchman Jan Verkade, the Dane Mogens Ballin, the Swiss Félix Vallotton and the Hungarian Jozsef Rippl-Ronai. These artists would remain close friends for the rest of their lives.
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A Royal General Hospital
It was in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, in the Feuillancourt valley, that Madame de Montespan founded a Royal General Hospital at the end of the 17th century, with the support of King Louis XIV. The original plan called for the construction of two wings arranged symmetrically on either side of a chapel, based on the medieval model of the hôtels-Dieu. The south wing housed the service and administration rooms, a monumental double spiral staircase and the patients’ wards on two gallery levels. The keystone of the former kitchens (now the Museum’s reception area) bears the date 1692. The chapel is dedicated to Saint Louis, who was born in Poissy and raised on the Feuillancourt estate at Château Bouret. Work on the chapel was halted in 1718. The north wing was never built, causing the chapel to lose its symmetry-regulating role.
In 1753, the Hospital became a hospice. Napoleon Bonaparte preferred it to the Hôtel-Dieu de la Charité in 1802. The site was therefore abandoned and disused.
A private property, once occupied by Jesuits
In 1817, the property was sold, the destination of the spaces and the tenants succeeded one another. In 1848, the building became a factory and the chapel an outbuilding of the Delbut tannery. Shortly afterwards, the building was sold to painter Joseph-Désiré Court, who set up his studio there, and then to dancer Fanny Elssler, who transformed it into a choreography studio.
A guardhouse for the Germans during the Franco-Prussian War, the property was then acquired by the Mignon family, who entrusted it to the Jesuit fathers in 1875. The Jesuits carried out a number of interior alterations, including the conversion of part of the chapel into rooms for retreatants and the installation of a small chapel adjoining the first chapel for the celebration of services. Following the 1901 law on associations, the Jesuits lost possession of the property, which they were evicted from in 1905 after a long period of litigation. The Mignon family then made the building available to the parish, and the large chapel was converted into a patronage room.
Maurice Denis at the Priory
Maurice Denis was a long-time tenant in the vicinity of the old Hospital, enjoying a panoramic view of the site from 59 rue de Mareil where he moved with his family in 1900. In 1910, he obtained permission from the parish to occupy part of the building and set up an extension to his studio. In 1912, in order to be able to create the large sets that adorned the dome of the Champs-Elysées theatre, he rented the land adjoining the chapel and had a large studio built there under the supervision of the architect Auguste Perret. In 1914, he succeeded in acquiring the estate and had the vast building and garden restored and landscaped. Now a harmonious setting for his family life, the house was also a hotbed of artistic and intellectual life, where he created much of his work and welcomed friends and students.
The Priory cricketsIn 1976, the Yvelines département bought the estate. After work to adapt the spaces to their new functions, and to restore the purity of the original architecture, the museum – dedicated to Maurice Denis, the Symbolist and Nabis artists and their times – welcomed its first visitors in October 1980.
Maurice Denis Museum in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, interior rooms
