The Origins of the musée des impressionnismes Giverny: the Musée d’Art Américain Giverny.

In 1883, when Claude Monet decided to settle permanently in Le Pressoir in Giverny, he did not know that his choice would give a global standing to this modest Norman village in the Epte Valley.

In 1986, the American businessman and great collector, Daniel J. Terra (1911–96), bought his first property in Giverny.

In 1987, Daniel J. Terra bought the parcel of land located in front of Le Hameau, on the hillside, in order to build the Musée d’Art Américain Giverny.

The architectural project enshrined the building in the natural slope of the hillside.

The semi-buried constructions, spread over several levels, meant that only a small portion of the building was visible.

The construction on the future museum began in 1990. In addition to the main building, the project provided for a complete redevelopment of the land, transforming it into a landscaped garden.

The building was completed in 1992, and fits discreetly into its environment, revealing only a few beige limestone walls and terraces planted with heather, extended by beds surrounded by hedges.

"The cover slab of the museum is coated with 19 inches of planted topsoil." Philippe Robert, February 2019

"We worked hard to make our architecture non-existent. The biggest compliment would be if somebody asked us where our work is." Philippe Robert, quoted by Jean-Louis Perrier, "Giverny, cimaises d’Amérique" (Giverny, Picture Rails of America), "Le Monde," April 13, 1991

Everything is organized around a vast and luminous hall. On the left, there are three showrooms, offset at different levels according to the slope of the ground. A reflective wall returns natural light, diffused consistently, from a slightly sloping ceiling. "The exhibition galleries receive natural lighting without direct sunlight, thanks to the high bay windows that transmit natural light by reflection on a vertical stone surface. In addition, lighting rails allow the installation of specific projectors."
Philippe Robert, February 2019

Inside the building, a few bay windows facing north open onto the hill and let in natural light.
The architects have established a constant dialog between light, architecture, and the surrounding vegetation.

The front garden was designed by landscape gardener, Florence Robert, in consultation with the Reichen and Robert team.

It consists of square beds of colors that follow one another symmetrically, evoking an artist's palette, or a large set of watercolors.
The garden was planted in 1990.

In 1991, Judith and Daniel J. Terra commissioned the American landscape architect, Mark Rudkin, famous for redeveloping the gardens of the Royal Palace in Paris. Rudkin retained the long central aisle and the idea of flowery geometric parterres.

Each parterre is separated by hedges with alternating beech and emerald thujas. The space is divided into sections of warm and cold colors. The white garden is followed by blue, yellow, and red sections. Over the years, the garden managers, Didier Brunner and Emmanuel Besnard, have added new elements, including a space for aromatic plants, a bed of roses, and wild flowers and plants on the garden's west side. This more open area, known as the "crazy garden," is a clever transition with a meadow of poppies or millstones, depending on the season. This is visible from the museum galleries and pays tribute to two of the subjects dear to the Impressionists.

In 2009, the Musée d’Art Américain Giverny made way for the musée des impressionnismes Giverny. The aim of the museum is to make known the origins, the geographical reach, and the influence of Impressionism.