Impressionist times
It's no coincidence that part of the department is nicknamed "Impressionist country". Thanks to a pictorial revolution accomplished by certain 19th-century painters, this artistic movement was revealed in France by a group of painters - including Claude Monet, one of whose paintings gave the movement its name. Following in the footsteps of realism, these painters sought to capture things through immediate apprehension, in order to achieve greater truth. Thus, for Camille Corot, Alfred Sisley, Berthe Morisot (pupil and later sister-in-law of Edouard Manet), Camille Pissarro, Auguste Renoir and Claude Monet, the world was reduced to optical sensations, a quivering of light in which forms tended to fade away. Intending to fix the landscape as the eye sees it in a given moment, as it will no longer be the moment after, they overturned the technique and painted the heart of the Seine loop in separate strokes, from north to south: Carrières-sur-Seine, Le Pecq-sur-Seine, Chatou, Le Port-Marly, Croissy-sur-Seine, Marly-le-Roi, Bougival, Louveciennes and Noisy-le-Roi. Many of their world-famous canvases(La Grenouillère, Le Bal des canotiers, Le Déjeuner des canotiers) depict the festive sites and places of rejoicing they were particularly fond of.
The department's painters
The Yvelines offers a number of circuits and walks in the footsteps of the Impressionist painters and their works, which can be discovered thanks to reproductions on plates in the place where they were painted. Highlights include the Fournaise hamlet in Chatou, where Renoir painted the famous Déjeuner des canotiers; or simply walk along the banks of the Seine to observe Pissarro's Le Village de Voisins, Alfred Sisley's Barrage de la Machine de Marly or Renoir's Route de Versailles.
Camille Pissarro (1830-1903). One of the Impressionist painters and founder of the movement, Pissarro lived in Louveciennes from 1869 onwards, where he painted numerous views that can be admired at the Musée d'Orsay and the National Gallery in London.
Claude Monet (1840-1926). Impressionist painter who worked in series to better capture the nuances of light, painted in Paris and Normandy, before settling in Giverny, where his garden was an inexhaustible source of inspiration. His best-known canvases include Gare Saint-Lazare, Cathédrale de Rouen, Nymphéas, Pont Japonais and Les Tilleuls à Poissy.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919). Impressionist painter responsible for the famous Déjeuner des canotiers painted in Chatou, who returned to drawing at the end of his life(Les Grandes Baigneuses) and took up sculpture.
Maurice Denis (1870-1943). A symbolist and mystic painter and theorist of the Nabi movement, he lived from 1914 until his death in Saint-Germain-en-Laye (where a museum dedicated to him can be visited). His easel and monumental paintings include Chemin dans les arbres and L'Eternel printemps.
André Derain (1880-1954). Painter and creator of Fauvism with Vlaminck and Matisse, "the maker of masterpieces" according to Modigliani, was born in the Yvelines. He lived and worked in Chambourcy for 20 years.
The theater
Today, the Yvelines region is brimming with theaters and companies. This dramatic tradition dates back to the time of the Sun King. Take, for example, the Plaisirs de l'Île enchantée, organized by Louis XIV from May 7 to 13, 1664, in honor of his mother, Anne of Austria, and his queen, Marie-Thérèse. The first major event organized by the king at Versailles, the festivities were in fact dedicated to his mistress, Mademoiselle de La Vallière. On this occasion, Molière performed his play Le Tartuffe ou l'Imposteur for the first time, before it was banned due to court scandal. It was also the site of his first collaboration with composer Lully on the comedy-ballet La Princesse d'Elide. One of France's most important theater festivals, the "Mois Molière", transforms the streets of Versailles into an open-air stage in June. A packed and exciting program comes to life in the city's most emblematic venues, with period re-enactments and stage costumes.
The cinema
Actors and comedians from the department
Joséphine Baker (1906-1975). Music-hall artist who made a name for herself at the Folies Bergère, in La Folie du jour (1926) and Un vent de folie (1927). Her legendary generosity led her to adopt twelve children of all origins. For several years, she lived in a villa in Le Vésinet. A member of the French Resistance during the Second World War, she will be inducted into the Pantheon in 2021.
Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982). Swedish-born American actress, she played for some of the world's greatest directors, including her husband Ingmar(Sonate d'automne, 1978). Her career includes such major films as Casablanca (1942), Les Enchaînés (1946) and Stromboli (1950). She spent the last twenty years of her life at her home in Choisel.
André Bourvil (1917-1970). Film actor whose career began in 1945. He was famous for his comic roles, as much as for his kindness. His best-known films include La Traversée de Paris (1947), Le Corniaud (1965) and La Grande Vadrouille (1966). He had a house in Montainville, overlooking the Mauldre valley.
Jean Rochefort (1930-2017). César 1976 for Best Supporting Actor for Que la fête commence. Very popular the same year in Un éléphant, ça trompe énormément (Yves Robert). He was nominated for a César for his role in Ridicule (1997) and received an honorary César in 1999. He owned the Villequoy stud farm in his adopted village of Auffargis.
Gérard Klein (1942). Actor, producer and presenter of documentary magazines, he travels the world to meet "wonderful people", filming social and environmental reports. He has lived in Houdan for several years.
Francis Perrin (1947). Born in Versailles, this man of the theater - actor, adapter, director and author - attended the Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique de Paris, the Comédie-Française (1972), the Montansier theater (1993) and the Festival d'Anjou (2001).
Bruno Podalydès. After starting out directing corporate films for Air France, the screenwriter and filmmaker created a surprise with his first film, Versailles rive gauche (1992), which won a César for best short film. This was followed by Voilà (1994), selected at the Venice Film Festival, Dieu seul me voit (1998), Liberté-Oléron (2001), and Le Mystère de la chambre jaune (2003) and its sequel, Le Parfum de la dame en noir (2005).
Jean Dujardin. Comedian, actor and director, he spent his childhood in Plaisir. He made his name with the "Nous ç Nous" troupe, followed by the 2005 film Brice de Nice and the TV series Un gars, une fille. In 2012, he won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in The Artist, alongside Bérénice Bejo.
The street art invasion
For some years now, street art has been invading streets and coloring buildings. In the Yvelines region, several towns have commissioned artists to do just that. Chatou, for example, offers a " street art en terre impressionniste" stroll through its streets. In 2019, the "un mur, une œuvre" (a wall, a work of art) operation will bring new life to buildings in Meulan-en-Yvelines, Breuil-Bois-Robert and Gargenville. Every two years, a street art festival is also organized in Saint-Germain-en-Laye to showcase this form of urban art. As for the Graf' Park in Mantes-la-Jolie, it's a place that showcases all kinds of urban disciplines: graffiti, dance, music... So don't hesitate to take a good look around when you're out and about in Yvelines!
