Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Fournaise House, built in 1844 in Chatou, was originally a gargot and shipyard. In 1857, Alphonse Fournaise, master of the bridge, made it a restaurant-hotel with boat hire, transforming the island into a popular place at all-Paris. The successive enlargements, such as the cast iron balustrade, and the festive atmosphere made it a "panel of canoeers", described by Guy de Maupassant as the Grillon restaurant.

The place became a landmark of the Impressionists: Auguste Renoir painted The Lunch of the Canoeers (1880) and The Two Sisters (1881), while Monet, Degas and Caillebotte found themselves there. Artists like Maurice Réalier-Dumas contributed to his decoration. Closed at the beginning of the 20th century, the house was bought by the commune in 1979, listed as historical monuments in 1982, and restored with public and associative aids.

Since 1990, the site has regained its original vocation with a restaurant, while the Fournaise Museum, opened in 1992, exhibits works by artists related to the banks of the Seine (Derain, Lebourg, Vlaminck) and memories of Maupassant. The main hall, with its murals, was inscribed in 2025. The collection, digitized on the Mona Lisa base, bears witness to the golden age of canoeing and impressionism.

The establishment thus embodies the transition to modern leisure, combining industrial, artistic and social heritage. Its history reflects the evolution of the banks of the Seine, between worker tradition and cultural vanguard, while remaining rooted in local memory thanks to associations and successive restorations.

Future

Fournaise House currently houses a municipal museum that traces the time of Impressionism, including through temporary exhibitions.

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