La Folie Barbizon -- Site historique

Historical context

There is a logic to the fact that the grand residences of Barbizon were built after the painters arrived, not before. The painters came to a hamlet of woodcutters and farmers, living on credit in rustic inns. It was their presence, and the reputation it brought, that raised the value of the village -- and attracted properties like La Folie, built by those who wanted to be close to creation without enduring its inconveniences. This dynamic -- art that valorises, wealth that follows -- is as old as cities and as Barbizon as the Auberge Ganne.

Historical research: grappilles.fr — Barbizon Histoire et Patrimoine