Musée des peintres de Barbizon

Set in the heart of Barbizon, a charming town on the edge of Fontainebleau Forest, the Auberge Ganne, a former inn, still resounds with the laughter of the artists who stayed here. This “painters’ village” was one of the favourite destinations for 19th -century artists looking to swap their studios for nature and start painting from life.

Since 1995, the Musée des Peintres de Barbizon has installed a permanent collection in the historic inn, while preserving the welcoming atmosphere of its original decor.

Artists' testimonies on the walls

The ground floor offers an impressively realistic reconstitution of the grocery-store-cum-kitchen where the innkeepers slept, as well as the dining rooms. On the first floor, the bedrooms have been transformed into exhibition spaces, where, movingly, the sketches and studies drawn directly onto the walls by visiting artists have been preserved. You can admire around a hundred masterpieces by artists including Théodore Rousseau, Camille Corot and Jean-François Millet.

Your visit continues in the home and studio of one of Barbizon’s emblematic figures, the painter Théodore Rousseau, where you can enjoy regular exhibitions held in the museum there. Throughout the year, put your own artistic talents to practice at one of the many open-air sketching and engraving workshops, attend lectures or participate in literary and artistic walks.