euroArt - the European Federation of Artists' Colonies

Cernay-la-Ville

Cernay-la-Ville is situated at about 45 km south-west of Paris and about 20 km south of Versailles in the Chevreuse Valley area.

The village of about 1600 inhabitants lies between the Rambouillet forest on the north and farmland on the south.

This unique and very picturesque setting has attracted many artists as early as the beginning of the 19^thcentury.

Katwijk

In the 1850's, Katwijk was home to the painter Jozef Israels. However, the artists' colony did not reach its peak until 1880, which lasted until 1910. The hard, unspoiled and intensive fishermen's life was a great source of inspiration from artists from all over the world. After the period of Romanticism, most painters applied a realistic or naturalistic style until a new generation stood up and brought a trace of Modernism to the village.