Paris boasts of its workshops of artists, a reflection of the personality of the creator, his work and his inspiration such as the one at the Institut Giacometti, the Brâncuși workshop next to the Center Pompidou, the one at the Musée Bourdelle or those idyllically located in the vineyards of Montmartre.
But many artists preferred to get away from the hustle and bustle of the capital to settle in quiet places of expression where they could give free rein to their creativity, such as the famous Maison de Monet in Giverny or Van Gogh's Chamber in Auvers-sur-Oise.
Voice a guide to historical or contemporary creation refuges (some of which can be visited), in Paris and its Île de France region, that are pure enjoyment.
Atelier Brancusi.
PHILOLAOS TLOUPAS ATELIER , Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse
The Greek artist (1923-2010) built this villa-atelier in the 1960s together with a friend who was a mason, building it himself from the plans to the objects that inhabit it. His courtyard with sculpture-fountains, and his bedroom, living room, kitchen, surprising bathroom, and whitewashed atelier, preserve countless of his works that have remained immobile since his death, making it a tremendously special place.
The work of Philolaos Tloupas brings together monumental creations integrated into projects by architects and landscapers, more confidential pieces and others that coexist in his workshop, such as furniture, objects-sculptures or figurative achievements. In his vast creation space, with a modernist air, materials such as concrete, stainless steel, tiles or lacquered wood predominate, dominated by some huge windows that invade it with light and nature. The extraordinary set of it can be visited only certain days a year.
Atelier of the artist Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita.
MAISON-ATELIER FOUJITA , Villiers-le-Bâcle
The French-Japanese painter Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita (1886-1968) after the bohemia of Montparnasse he lived the last eight years of his life in a small town in the vallée de la Chevreuse.
The small rural house from the 18th century, restored by himself and preserved to this day, with his workshop set up in the attic, allows access to the intimate universe of the artist and the process of creating it. In fact, it was here that he conceived his last great work, La Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix de Reims.
Portrait of the Franco-Japanese painter Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita.
His environment, his objects brought from all over the world, his pigments, brushes, preparatory drawings and sketches, reveal Foujita's eclecticism. It can be accessed thanks to guided tours and during special events such as the night of museums.
Atelier of the Franco-Japanese painter Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita.
LE CHATEAU DE ROSA BONHEUR, Thomery
The renowned French artist Rosa Bonheur (1822-1899), She lived in this beautiful mansion that she used as a workshop, where she worked and received the great European sovereigns attracted by her talent. The place, suspended in time for more than a century, is a tribute to the committed and, ahead of her time, 19th century artist.
Her warm workshop protects her paintings and sculptures specialized in animals, her paint palette, her sketches, her cabinets full of treasures and even her hat, her ankle boots or her blouse.
Accessible by train from Paris, the guided tours of it without digital devices immerse the visitor in the nostalgia of the past and the work of the artist. In addition, you can take a break in her salon de thé or spend the night in a suite of her flirtatious Chambre d'Hotes.
Empress Eugénie visiting Rosa Bonheur's painting studio in 1864.
VILLA DES BRILLANTS, Meudon
After working in his Parisian workshops, Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) settled in a simple brick and stone Louis XIII-style bourgeois residence. The sculptor provided it with workshops and galleries to be able to develop his métier surrounded by workers, molders or marble cutters.
Located 30 minutes from Paris, in the rural town of Meudon, the mâitre appreciated his garden, an excellent place for meditation and the presentation of his works. Today, belonging to the Musée Rodin, this enclave takes the visitor into the daily life of the artist during his last 20 years. In its beautiful rooms that maintain the allure of the time, His models, personal collections, replicas, bronzes or works by his Impressionist friends are appreciated.
Facade of Jean Cocteau's mansion.
THE HOUSE OF JEAN COCTEAU , Milly-la-Forêt
The avant-garde artist Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) lives this charming and amazing mansion for the last 17 years of his life. located one hour from paris and surrounded by garden, it was the ideal refuge for creation.
Historical photo of Jean Cocteau in his house.
Its ornate and fanciful interior is surprising, decorated by his friend Madeleine Castaing, a heterogeneous and poetic atmosphere with leopard print wallpaper, quirky pieces, furniture, vinyl or a drawing board, in addition to your prized works of art Jean Marais, Picasso, Warhol, Modigliani or Buffet.
Detail of the interior decoration of Jean Cocteau's mansion.
The bucolic mansion-museum welcomes different exhibitions in honor of the dandy, versatile writer, poet, painter, designer and filmmaker known for his constant artistic boiling.
LE CORBUSIER'S APARTMENT-ATELIER , Boulogne-Billancourt
Le Corbusier (1887-1965), star architect of the 20th century, together with Pierre Jeanneret, conceived his appartement-atelier between 1931 and 1934 on the top two floors of the Molitor building, as a test of his urban proposals.
24 NC exempt from vis-à-vis, allowed the realization of the first glass facade in a residential building. The seventh floor houses his painting atelier, bathed in light and displayed under a large vault. His Swiss watchmaking furniture remains sober in appearance, used to organize his material, the sink for washing brushes and a small desk dedicated to his philosophical reflections and his writing.
Le Corbusier's studio in Paris.
His home, used as a laboratory for testing, was made up of a small living room with pieces such as the grand confort armchair; the dining room, in which a geometric and colorful stained glass window by Brigitte Simon stands out, a large marble table and Thonet chairs; the bedroom, inspired by a cabin; a modern kitchen, and the service bedroom.
The eighth floor was occupied by a simple guest room and the terrace-garden with a wide panoramic view. Its magnificent guided tours allow you to get to know the character and his work, which can be completed with a tour of the Maison La Roche, located 20 minutes on foot.
Le Corbusier's atelier in Paris.
ATELIER MARTEL, Paris
Located on rue Mallet-Stevens, a wonderful urban space by the eponymous architect, opened in 1927, made up of five hôtels particuliers and a gatehouse, which illustrates the architectural precepts of the Mouvement Moderne.
The Martel hotel was designed for the Martel sculptor brothers, where they set up their workshop and home. Mallet-Stevens (1886-1945) embraced bold materials and the involvement of the great artisans of l'avant-garde. The remarkable large-volume building is made up of three apartments and a vast workshop on three levels; the lower part dedicated to monumental works; a lower zone, occupied by ceramic work; and a mezzanine, which served as reception. For its part, the winter garden with a perforated roof has been converted into a kitchen.
This art deco masterpiece has kept its original proportions. In 2000, his atelier was acquired by Éric Touchaleaume, antiquarian and founder of the Gallery 54, which restores it respecting the initial project, taking the license to install a light source of Mallet-Stevens himself.
The imposing gallery exhibits an impressive collection of primitive and contemporary art, as well as coveted furniture by Jean Prouvé, Pierre Jeanneret or Charlotte Perriand in its cozy atmosphere. Open only to customers and by appointment, it offers guided tours exceptionally, from July 23 to August 31.
ECOLE NATIONALE SUPERIEURE DES BEAUX ARTS, Paris
The Academy of Fine Arts is one of the most prestigious institutions in Paris. Founded in 1817 and located on the left bank, in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district, it is Erected in the beautiful Palais des Beaux-Arts, which brings together several buildings dating mainly from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.
He boasts of his workshops in which his students, eager to imbue themselves with his history, come proudly to his classes through which they passed Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Jacques-Louis David, Charles Garnier, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Gustave Moreau or Henri Matisse and later Constantin Brancusi, Paul Landowski, César or André Masson.
To the delight of the public, at the end of June they organize the Ateliers Ouverts days, an exceptional opportunity to discover the artistic creation of their students, and to enter the rooms of this jewel of Parisian heritage, the cour vitrée du Palais des Études, the Chapelle des Petits-Augustins, its galleries or amphitheatres.
IDEM PARIS, Paris
This beautiful art print shop was a unique meeting point for great artists. Located in Montparnasse, the workshop was built in 1881 by a geography map printer and was active until World War II. Specialized in stone engraving, it keeps an impressive stock of tons of lithographic stones for the creation of images, present in museums, exhibitions and private collections.
Today it remains as before, an energetic hideaway under a 1,400 m² glass wall that shelters the lithographic presses that printed works by Matisse, Picasso, Miró, Chagall, Braque, Giacometti and the most important artists of the 20th century. Still very select, it receives artists of the stature of Jean-Michel Alberola, Sophie Calle, JR, Izumi Kato, William Kentridge, David Lynch, Paul McCarthy or Raymond Pettibon.
JEREMY MAXWELL WINTREBERT ATELIER , Paris
The young Franco-American artist and craftsman perfects the freehand and mouth-blowing techniques that he acquired in the United States and Europe, in the only glass blowing workshop in Paris. The studio of him JMW of him, is specialized in the design of lighting to measure and his blown workshop is dedicated to his artistic creations.
Artwork by artist Jeremy Maxwell.
Being this vibrant area, an unusual setting in which serene, he praises the material and reflects on its inspiration, the creation of the universe; where Johnny Cash sounds, his meek Rhodesian Crested rests and a hot atmosphere emanates from his 1300-degree oven. In a fluid choreography of breaths and physical gestures, Jeremy works glass in a traditional way, a mesmerizing modeling in which he transforms his energy into delicate, weightless-looking discs.
His workshop invites you to observe his work from his stable door. Located in Le Viaduc des Arts, a unique place dedicated to crafts and creation, which in June he participates in the Biennale Révélations, the Biennale Internationale des Métiers d'Art et de la Création.
LA GRANDE CHAUMIÈRE ACADEMY, Paris
The legendary Montparnasse district boasts this mythical art academy that welcomed the most important artists of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
His chamant Grand Atelier maintains the memory and patina of those who frequented it, and who have marked the history of painting as Gauguin, Modigliani, Giacometi, Lempicka, Fernand Léger, Louise Bourgeois, Joan Miró, Zao Wou-Ki or Chaïm Soutine.
It was the only institution that at the beginning of the 20th century was open to independent art, to expression in all its forms and techniques. So On their wooden easels, the most famous painters practiced live models, nudes, sketches, fusain, drawing or oil painting; spirit that still remains in its free ateliers, courses and practices.