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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house-workshop of Foujita, located 7 roads from Gif to Villiers-le-Bâcle (Essonnes), is an old house transformed into a space of life and creation by the Franco-Japanese painter Tsugouharu Foujita. In 1960, he acquired two adjoining houses in the Chevreuse valley, merged them into one, and lived there until his death in 1968. Foujita completely restores the building, including the cellar in the kitchen and dining room, while the attic becomes its workshop. A religious fresco, dated 1965 and visible on a wall-pignon, testifies to his research on the technique of fresco, preparatory to the creation of the Foujita Chapel.

The site has been listed as historic monuments since September 1994 for its artistic and heritage interest, including the protection of the workshop mural painting. Owned by the Essonne department since 1991 — thanks to a gift from Foujita's wife — the house has been kept in the state and opened to the public since September 2000. She has also enjoyed the Maisons des Illustres label since 2011. Visits are made by appointment on weekdays, or free on weekends, with a formal ban on photographing.

The house-workshop illustrates Foujita's dual cultural identity, mixing Japanese and French influences. Its layout reflects both its intimate way of life and its artistic commitment, notably through the fresco of 1965, the only visible vestige of its technical experiments. The building thus embodies a pivotal period of its career, marked by monumental projects such as the chapel of Reims, while remaining anchored in the rural landscape of l'Essonne.

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