Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The House of André Derain, located at 64 Grande Rue in Chambourcy (Yvelines), is a property dating from the second half of the 17th century, renovated in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was successively owned by influential families, including the Bigot de Sainte-Croix (last Minister of Foreign Affairs of Louis XVI) and the Bassan (Marchands d'estampes), before being acquired in 1935 by painter André Derain, a major figure in Fauvism with Matisse and Vlaminck. The Derain couple settled in 1936 after arrangements to create a workshop, and lived there until the death of André in 1954, followed by his wife Alice in 1975.

The home, filled with a large collection of works by Derain, becomes a meeting place for artists such as Georges Braque, Balthus or Jean Renoir. In 1988, surgeon Albert Badault restored it and opened it to the public. Repurchased by the municipality of Chambourcy in 2014, it has been listed in the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments since 1986. After restoration work (2018–2019), the house reopens in 2019 to reconstitute its original setting and host exhibitions, guided tours and cultural events, in partnership with Les Amis d的André Derain.

Cultural programming includes temporary exhibitions (paintings, prints, photographs) and animations such as escape games or conferences. The house participates in European Heritage Days and collaborates with institutions such as the Musée d'Art Moderne in Paris. His workshop, preserved by Geneviève Taillade (little niece of Derain), remains an intact testimony of the life and work of the painter, celebrated especially on the 70th anniversary of his disappearance in 2024.

The site is managed by the Office de Tourisme Intercommunal Saint-Germain Boucles de Seine, which organises thematic visits. The house, with its park, illustrates both Derain's artistic heritage and the architectural history of the Yvelines, while serving as a dynamic cultural hub for the Île-de-France region. Recent exhibitions have highlighted private collections (posters, drawings) and tributes to contemporary artists, perpetuating the dialogue between past and current creation.

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