For half a century, artist Raymond Fontanet, known professionally as Renefer (1879-1957), dedicated his life to immortalizing the unique lights and colors of the Seine River and the mouth of the Oise River in France. His artistic legacy has made him an emblematic figure of the Confluent region, where these two waterways meet. Renefer maintained deep connections to the town of Andrésy in Yvelines, where he eventually settled permanently in 1942.
Renefer was profoundly connected to Andrésy, where his family resided. From a very young age, he demonstrated a natural attraction to drawing and painting, finding inspiration in the landscapes of the Seine Valley. While he studied architecture and fine arts in Paris, he remained deeply attached to his roots in Andrésy. During his childhood, he regularly stayed with his uncle, Alfred Chaudouet, an artisan painter who lived on rue de l'Église in Andrésy.
This familial setting and the charm of the location nourished his artistic imagination. He tirelessly drew the town, its fields, and the banks of the Seine, capturing the changing reflections of the waters at the confluence of the Oise and the Seine rivers. In 1942, he chose to establish himself permanently in the area, moving into a house overlooking the Seine on avenue Maurice-Berteaux.
Driven by a desire to share his artistic passion, Renefer founded the Conflans-Sainte-Honorine Academy in 1946 alongside several painter friends. This institution served as a popular art education school. "Their ambition was to make art accessible to everyone," explains Gabrielle Thierry, president of the Renefer Association. Located at the Château du Prieuré, the Academy organized multiple initiatives including painting, sculpture, engraving, and decorative arts exhibitions, as well as literary and musical competitions.
The academy's primary goal was to develop the public's artistic sensibility and support young talents. In 1947, this cultural movement led by Renefer resulted in the creation of a museum with municipal support: the Museum of the Conflans School. This institution would later become the Museum of River Navigation and Waterways in 1966, continuing the spirit of artistic education and promotion of local heritage.
To revive Renefer's work and his perspective on the Confluent region, the association bearing his name has created an outdoor artistic trail in partnership with the city. This 2.1-kilometer walking route invites visitors to rediscover the landscapes that the artist loved so deeply. Nine reproductions of his works—including ink drawings, watercolors, and oil paintings on canvas—mark the path, distributed between the Seine quays and the narrow streets of Old Conflans.
The Renefer Association, founded in 2004 and presided over by Gabrielle Thierry, organized this artistic trail in collaboration with the City of Conflans. Each painting has been installed at the exact location where Renefer set up his easel, providing visitors with an authentic immersion into the artist's creative process. Visitors can compare the current viewpoint with the perspective the painter had on the landscape several decades ago.
"The objective is to make this artist known and to transmit his memory," emphasizes Gabrielle Thierry. The trail offers a unique experience that combines history, art, and nature at the crossroads of waters and emotions, allowing contemporary audiences to see the Confluent region through the eyes of this dedicated artist who spent five decades capturing its essence.
