The house offers a glimpse into the artist’s private life, as well as an insight into his working methods through preparatory drawings, models and sketches.
Together, they shed a unique light on Foujita.
In 1960, Foujita acquired a small rural house in Villiers-le-Bâcle, in the Chevreuse valley, which he restored over the course of a year. He converted the entire house, reserving the attic for his workshop. It was here that he designed his last great work: The Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix in Reims.
In 1991, his wife Kimiyo donated the house to the Département de l’Essonne. Preserved in its original state since the artist’s death in 1968, it has been restored and opened to the public since September 2000.
A man of great culture and insatiable curiosity, Foujita collected a wealth of objects gleaned from his travels and encounters.
Each of these objects takes us back to Foujita’s world, giving us a glimpse of the alchemy that fosters creation. The interior reveals the artist’s eclecticism, reflected in the juxtaposition of influences, tastes and materials in the décor. A true aesthete, Foujita shaped his interiors in his own image. In a complex interplay of back and forth, his familiar world is often the subject or motif of his creations.
In September 2011, the Maison-atelier Foujita was awarded the “Maisons des Illustres” label by the French Ministry of Culture.
Foujita house-workshop
7, route de Gif
91 190 Villiers-le-Bâcle
Free admission
Tours must be guided:
By appointment Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Weekends by appointment only, 11am to 7pm (last tour at 6pm)
Information and reservations:
by phone: 01.69.85.34.65
by e-mail: maison-foujita@cd-essonne.fr