Claude Monet's Maison Impressionniste, the museum of the painter's life in Argenteuil

If you'd like to find out more about the Impressionist painter Claude Monet, but don't want to go to the end of Normandy, to Giverny, then head for the Maison Impressionniste de Claude Monet, opening in 2022, in Argenteuil. After years of renovation, this surprisingly styled building, with its chalet-like appearance and green shutters, is finally open to the public, and features a carefully designed scenography for an immersive experience inside the house where Monet produced many of his masterpieces between 1874 and 1878.

Inspired by the surrounding countryside, Claude Monet painted 159 pictures here, on themes such as the industrial revolution, with the banks of the Seine, racing sailboats, the railway bridge and pieces of nature still untouched by the arrival of the city. The proximity of the house to the train station, which was very new when Monet and his family moved in, meant that he could easily travel to Paris. The town of Argenteuil, which bought and renovated the building, was determined to preserve its authenticity, so as to be able to enter into the intimacy of the painter's life.

The tour takes visitors through the house's two floors, featuring small rooms with antique floors and, above all, almost original furniture! Indeed, to recreate the atmosphere of yesteryear, cupboards, oil lamps and even wallpaper have been carefully chosen to recreate the modest interior of the 19th century. On the top floor of the house, you can also admire a reconstitution of Monet's studio boat, from which he painted the Seine, and enjoy an original cruise alongside him.

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Suitable for adults and children alike, the scenography allows visitors to immerse themselves in the painter's Impressionist world, through a life-size treasure hunt. Visitors can indulge their curiosity and travel back in time, in the heart of a green setting, particularly on the first floor. In the past, a large winter garden allowed Monet to plunge into his artistic reveries. Although some elements have disappeared over time, the house uses innovative technologies to bring history to life. Numerous trompe-l'œil and virtual windows combine to project the painter's works, like an opening onto his art.

Let's go and discover this house-museum!