Normandy Art School Trips

Located on the sea-front in Le Havre this modern light-filled glass and steel gallery is home to France’s finest Impressionist Collection outside Paris. It’s late 19th and 20th century collections include a collection of 300 works by Boudin, Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, Degas, Gauguin, Van Dongen, Marquet, Dufy, Friesz, Pisarro, Courbet and Corot.

Discover the home of Claude Monet and his famous flower garden that provided inspiration for his work. Students will learn more about the master of impressionism and take the time to work on their own floral compositions. Located 75km from Paris, this is a favored excursion for schools staying in Normandy and the French capital. with seasonal opening.

A short walk from Monet’s House and Gardens, the Museum of Impressionism annually has two temporary exhibitions featuring original works from the Impressionist movement particularly those painters who worked at Giverny and in the Seine Valley. The museum has gardens which lead up to the hill of Giverny which was often featured in Impressionist works.

Trouville’s sister resort Deauville is the most sophisticated resort on the Normandy coast complete with race course, film festival, casino and  its own airport. Deauville inspired many artists: painters, writers, poets and caricaturists who came here during the 1920’s including Coco Chanel, who opened one of her first boutiques here, Dufy, Fujita, Van Dongen, Apollinaire, Sacha Guitry and Colette.

The Parisian landscape painter Charles Mozin first came to the small fishing port of Trouville in 1825. When he displayed his work in Paris and other artists followed him including Isabey, Huet and Corot. The Hotel des Rochers Noires was made famous by Monet and there is a fine collection of paintings, prints, photographs and drawings relating to holidays at the Montebello Museum-villa.

This long embroidered scroll is the most important relic to have survived from the 11th century. Students can see the epic story of William of Normandy’s conquest of England in 1066, and consider the French and British interpretation of events. Tip: A workbook is available in French for MFL students. A workspace with a tapestry image replica can be pre-booked for one hour for school groups.

Please note: The Bayeux Tapestry Museum will be closing on 1^st September 2025 for a complete renovation and is due to re-open in Autumn 2027.

In the former Episcopal Palace of Bayeux this museum takes you on a journey through time from archaeology to modern art. Exhibits include archaeological and ethnographical finds, Bayeux porcelain and lace and 350 pieces of art including works by Caillebotte, Van Dougen and Boudin.

Founded in 1868 by the Honfleur artist Alexandre Dubourg,  a friend of Eugene Boudin, the museum shows works by 19th century artists inspired by this region of Normandy. There are works by Romantics, Impressionists and Fauves, including Boudin, Monet, Courbet, Jongkind, Cals, Dubourg, Isabey, Vallotton, Dufy and Marquet.

This picturesque seaside town of half-timbered houses and cobbled streets was once an important departure point for maritime expeditions. Great Impressionist painters have captured its 17th century harbour. It also boasts the nearby huge cable-stayed bridge, the Pont de Normandie. A 16-stop audio city walk that takes about 1.5 hours is available at the tourist office.

Mont Saint-Michel, a gothic Benedictine abbey, is perched on a rocky islet amid vast sandbanks exposed to powerful tides. Over the years the island’s abbey has served as a prison, a fortress against the English and a monastery. As well as the abbey, your group can explore the medieval buildings of the village that grew up beneath its walls, along with stunning views.

This modern museum built inside William the Conqueror’s Castle contains works from the 15th century to the contemporary period. The Museum specialises in 16th and 17th century European painting including works by Veronese, Tintoretto and Rubens. Normandy as the home of Impressionism is represented through works by Monet, Boudin and Lebourg and post impressionism works by Bonnard and Dufy.

Rouen is considered the city of Impressionism and its iconic cathedral was used a subject by Turner and later Monet who created 28 works of its facade. The river Seine and its bridges, the Great Clock, the medieval quarter and the view from Sainte-Catherine’s Hill have all inspired great works. Rouen was the birthplace of the Post-Impressionist movement, and many fine works can be seen in the Musée des Beaux Arts.

This museum houses an important collection from the 16th century to modern day including works from the Rouen School of Post-Impressionist artists such as Lebourg, Angrand, Delattre and Pinchon. There is a significant collection of Impressionist works including paintings by Monet, Sisley, Renoir and Degas. Image by Musée des Beaux Arts de Rouen, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons.