Walk in the footsteps of the Impressionists… Halfway between Pontoise and Auvers-sur-Oise, in the heart of the Impressionists’ country, explore the country trails as Van Gogh, Pissarro, Cézanne, Daubigny and many others did in their time.
Visit the Impressionnists’ land
To enjoy the country air or to save money, in search of light, the Impressionists settled around Paris, from the Fontainebleau forest, to the loops of the Seine, to the meanders of the Oise.
Daubigny settled in Auvers sur Oise in 1860. Four summers in a row, from 1863 to 1866, Berthe Morisot, on Corot’s advice, rented a house in Le Chou, between Pontoise and Auvers sur Oise. Pissarro lived in Pontoise from 1866 to 1869, 1 rue du Fond de l’Hermitage, then from 1872 and for ten years he occupied various houses there. Cézanne, first housed in Saint Ouen l’Aumône, joined Auvers-sur-Oise for two years on the advice of Doctor Gachet, a recent resident of Auvergne. In 1881, he moved to 31 Quai de Porthuis. Pissaro moved to Osny near Pontoise in 1882, the last of his residences before Eragny, a village where Van Gogh painted regularly between 1886 and 1888.
In 1890, Van Gogh made a final stay at the Ravoux Inn before committing suicide (70 days, 70 paintings).
Behind the paintings of these great painters, the reality of the suburbs comes alive again and allows us to grasp the complexity of an era, the end of the century, a region, the Ile de France, and a pictorial movement, Impressionism. The Impressionist family is rooted in these still rural places, dedicated to industry and Sunday leisure by the water. The modern suburb is being created under the eyes of painters.
Le Green suggests sightseeing routes and excursions so that you enjoy your stay as much as possible.
Find more information on tourist visits on the website of the Cergy-Pontoise tourist office.