Le Jardin HumoristiqueFernand Chatelain (1899-1998)
Extant
Fyé, 72610, France
begun 1965
The garden is open to visitors during the summer (check at the local tourist office), but even during other seasons, most of it can be seen from the street, as intended by the artist.
About the Artist/Site
After baker Fernand Chatelain retired, he and his wife moved to Fyé, France, into a house with a garden that fronted the road connecting that small community to the neighboring towns.
In 1965 Chatelain began decorating the garden with creative constructions. They are primarily funny, brightly painted sculptures of animals and people, but there are also small buildings (including the Tower of Pisa) as well as carriages and other vehicles. Packed with lively and jolly scenes, the garden indeed was a humoristic one. Because it was situated alongside the main road between two cities, Chatelain helpfully provided signs telling motorists how far it was to either Alençon or le Mans, as well as a friendly male sculpture greeting walkers that bore the text Bonjour aux promeneurs (Hello, Walkers). This sculpture is today part of the collection of the open air museum Le jardin de la Luna Rossa in Caen.
Chatelain actively worked to embellish the site for some twenty years. After his death in 1988 the site went through many years of neglect. However, in 2005, with the help of various funds and with support of the local authorities of Fyé, who had become owners of the property, many of the works have been rebuilt and repainted.
The garden is open to visitors during the summer (check at the local tourist office), but even during other seasons, most of it can be seen from the street, as intended by the artist.
~Henk van Es
Related Documents
Map & Site Information
, 72610
fr
Latitude/Longitude: 48.325708 / 0.079567
Nearby Environments
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