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Where Artists Played: St Paul de Vence and Beyond By Arnie
Greenberg (The lovely harbor of Ville Franche, above, along the Cote d'Azur speaks volumes of the sunny, delightful atmosphere where so many artists lived and worked. All photos by Daniel Thierry courtesy of Maison de la France). High in the cool hills behind Cannes and the fabled French Riviera is the tiny cluster of buildings behind ancient ramparts called St-Paul de Vence. From the distance, it looks like many other towns in the region, a cluster of tightly knit buildings surrounded by a cliff-like circle away from the madding throngs. Looking like a huge boat, it sits perched on a mountaintop looking out at the azure Mediterranean, where tourists rich and famous have played for almost a century. (The settings in this area, with its hills perched above the sea, have a purely magical aura)
This enclave of villages, only 12 km from Nice in a sun-baked valley, looks like many others from the distance, but once you enter you discover why it has become the Mecca of artists and the sanctuary of some of the best art collections in France. Picasso is featured in nearby Antibes, where the ancient and imposing Grimaldi fortress chateau has been converted to a museum. The great works of the 40s, especially the ceramics are visible at the Picasso museum. It was in this region that Picasso lived and died. (The harbor at Antibes. Picasso lived and died in this region)
Here, in the hills above Antibes, he honed his craft by working in ceramics, an art he mastered. His homes at La Californie, Cap d'Antibes or Mougins became a refuge for him as he toiled away during the last years of his life. (The Picasso museum in Antibes)
Nearby in Nice the great museums of Matisse and Chagall display works seen only in books. The Chagall museum of the bible has more than a dozen huge canvasses of the great scenes of the Old Testament. They are wonderfully displayed in a modern building that includes murals, stained glass windows, sketches and pieces of sculpture. Set in a beautiful residential corner of Nice, high above the sea, one can walk among the paintings in peace and tranquility. Nearby, there are Roman ruins and hotels from an earlier era. (The views are lovely from high above the sea)
In a huge park-like setting is the restored building which houses a unique collection of Matisse masterpieces from various stages of his life. Here, Fauvism comes alive with its myriad of colors reborn as only the master could achieve. But even the black sketches show the genius of the well-loved painter. Closer to the sea, the heart of the city of Nice, boasts one of the best collections of modern art in the world. The Art Treasures of Vence and St-Paul The town of Vence and the larger St-Paul in the same general area has three "must see" sanctuaries for the lovers of 20th century art. With its proximity to the sunny "Cote d'Azur" where artists and writers once lived, played and created their masterpieces, this is an enchanting area. (Artists and writers once lived, played and created their masterpieces near the sunny Cote d'Azur)
In this region from St-Tropez to Nice and the Italian frontier such people as Renoir, Leger, Picasso, Chagall, Braque, Miro and Picabia were joined by Cole Porter, Yves Montand, Simone Signoret, Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Carlo Ponti and Sophia Loren, to name but a few. They entertained, and were entertained at the now famous Colombe d'Or (The Golden Dove). Here, too, is the modern but elaborately simple Foundation Meight (pronounced Megg) named for the Dutch collectors who started the museum, where visitors can walk in a walled garden containing statues by Arp, murals by Miro and cane-like masterpieces by Giacometti, Calder, Duffy or Dubuffet. It's a magical garden with water-generated statues that will amaze the visitor. Nearby, in neighboring Vence, surrounded by olive groves, Matisse lived and redesigned a tiny chapel in his own style. Today, thousands who walk in the shadow of the 'master' visit the tiny Chapel of the Rosary. Featured in the chapel are stained glass windows of blue and yellow, a simple pulpit and drawings of the Stations of the Cross in Matisse's personal style. After Matisse's near death experience in the 1940s, sister Jacques-Marie nursed him back to health. He offered the redesign of the nearby chapel as thanks for her efforts. The Intimate Colombe d'Or The Colombe d'Or, in St Paul, is a small but intimate inn with only sixteen rooms and ten apartments. Transformed from an old club in 1931 by Paul Roux and his mother who did the cooking. With the aid of his beautiful wife Titine, they created this discreet inn and restaurant and accepted works of art by the then fast rising or even little-known painters like Modigliani, Chaim Soutine, Pierre Bonnard and Signac. Leger did a ceramic mural mosaic on the dining terrace that features powerful nudes and a dove that dominates the wall. His dove is a magical sprawling feature that can be seen from the pool. At the water's edge, a Calder statue moves with the breezes. The guest book boasts drawings by Picasso, Miro and others often feature the hotel's dove theme. There is even a small drawing by Charlie Chaplin. In the cave-like bar there are photographs of Picasso, David Niven, Donald Sutherland and other movie stars or world class artists. The building that feels more like a museum is set in the midst of the town's hubbub and getting a room there may be problematic and expensive. But if you are a lover of art and a traveler who appreciates old Europe, stone and wood with bursts of color, you will be delighted here. (Modern sculpture adorns today's Nice)
The town itself
is charming and ancient, with narrow cobbled streets, seventeenth
century fountains and interesting galleries and crafts shops. The
bell tower is worth a view. The problem is the tour buses that taxi
countless tourists to the town each day. Perhaps a suggestion would
be to go in the early spring or fall. The villages and region as a whole offer artistic delights and a stay at the fabled hotel would be memorable. But even if you go there only for a meal, the experience will be rewarding. (Click
below for more travel stories).
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