Maison Picassiette, Folk art museum in Chartres, France
The Maison Picassiette is a house in Chartres where nearly every interior and exterior surface is covered with mosaics made from fragments of plates, cups, bottles, and other discarded materials. The wall coverings, floors, ceilings, and even garden furniture form a complete artistic environment where almost no space remains undecorated.
Raymond Isidore, a cemetery worker, built and decorated this house between 1928 and 1960, transforming everyday materials he found into a major artistic creation. His work demonstrates how one person with modest means could build a singular artistic environment over several decades.
The mosaics display religious symbols, the Chartres cathedral, and other French landmarks, showing how the builder wove his faith and connection to his region into his artistic expression. These choices reveal how personal attachments and local places shaped one person's creative vision.
The house is open to visitors and offers guided tours that explain the construction techniques and materials used. It helps to move slowly through the rooms to appreciate the mosaic details, since every corner holds something different to discover.
The artist gathered his materials for years from a nearby cemetery and local building sites around Chartres. This daily search for usable fragments became the foundation of his entire creative practice.
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