Honfleur & The Art Revolution

The Birth of Impressionism in a small town in Normandy: Honfleur

The Ferme Saint Simeon

It all happened quite by accident. I was taking lunch with some friends of mine who are devoted Parisians and weekenders in Normandy. They mentioned we should go to the hotel favored by President Macron and the First Lady of France for their anniversary each year. This was before he became a public figure. After a walk in the town of HONFLEUR and a walking tour of “Le Basin” (the harbor) with its colorful picturesque buildings and boats. Heading above the town we walked by the EUGENE BOUDIN art museum (closed on Sunday) and took the short trip to this ‘mystery’ hotel. I later discovered there was much more to the place than I realized. The property has extraordinary wild (yet manicured) gardens and views of the SEINE RIVER with shifting skies above you. It was the fall season, so it had recently rained a few days earlier. The large well appointed HAMLET style building in front of you bears the unmistakable quite chic of a Five Star Hotel *(Relais & Chateaux) with a front curving driveway of grey crushed pebbles typical of a French chateaux. It is, as the French like to say “IM-PEC-ABLE” (impeccable) . What was this discretely charming (clearly luxurious) hotel doing in a small town in Normandy? Well, the reason it exists after 200 years, I can now reveal. You can book the hotel via TABLET PRO hotels travel club here.

150 Years of Impressionism at LA FERME

The history that intrigues everyone about this place is who stayed there. The “Impressionists” were an integral part of this establishment. The Inn welcomed artists from Paris to a warm fire in the great room and the friendly proprietor who prepared many delicious meals. Here, they sought the unique relationship between the sky and the water with the changing cloud patterns in the skies. They captured on canvas and in sketches this constantly changing environment that was particularly picturesque from this viewpoint where the Seine River meets the sea. They sometimes paid for their stay with their work. As I stepped into the lobby, I felt this warmth and a unique sense of intrigue and marveled at the paintings that were on display. No museum had these works that I knew of; the fired crackled on this October weekend making the atmosphere intimate and charming. So, who stayed at this unique and wonderful place?

Views of the Ferme Saint-Simeon Hotel (Relais & Chateaux)

Eugene Boudin, Claude Monet and Corot Slept Here

This unique location in HONFLEUR has been entirely renovated from its early life as a farm where many artists lived and worked. Many works by artists who used their paintings to pay for their lodgings still remain with the hotel. It is not hard to see how this charming location was ideal for ‘plein-aire’ painting. When you stand in the garden and look out over the views, you are immediately taken in by the shifting clouds in the skies, the winds off the coast and the distant changing atmosphere.

Map of the HONFLEUR Town & Normandy Region

Honfleur: An Artist Community

The little town of HONFLEUR has been many things over time. Located on the mouth of the SEINE, the small harbor hosts colorful sailboats and fishing boats nestled on a picturesque harbor framed by colorful buildings. There is an almost “Dutch” charm to these buildings with their cheerful awnings decorating numerous cafes with harbor views. The town’s reputation as an artist colony grew out of its beautiful locale and seasonal weather conditions. The changing skies of HONFLEUR are beautifully captured in many COROT paintings. As one of the early landscape painters, his work represents a through line from the classic French Landscape painters to the era of Impressionism. MONET was visiting the area and met BOUDIN who encouraged him to move outdoors to paint what he saw around him. Without BOUDIN, it is acknowledged by many Impressionist artists, there would have been no movement towards PLEIN AIR PAINTING that becomes the central element of the Impressionist tradition. Boudin was a well established painter in 1853 when he met MONET who was originally from LE HAVRE. They became friends and BOUDIN mentored MONET in this period.

Note: (In the Map above, you can see some of the sights and the location of HONFLEUR on the Normandy coast). The short drive or train trip from Paris is approximately 1.5 hours.

Part II: We will take a close look at the paintings by EUGENE BOUDIN displayed at the NORTON SIMON MUSEUM in Pasadena, CA.

Editor’s Note: Here are some useful links for your trip to HONFLEUR:

HONFLEUR for the 150 Years of IMPRESSIONISM in 2024.

The Five Star Hotel Fit for A French President: The Saint Simeon Farm

Normandy Region Museums: See what’s Up for your Trip Dates

A Toute France: The Ultimate French Website for All Things French

Museum of Eugene Boudin - Honfleur

The Tourist Office at HONFLEUR video Presentation

Walking on the Beach - Learn the Tides!