Foundation Maeght

Dear Friends,

Today we took an excursion inland.  We headed first of all for Grasse.  We stopped just outside of Grasse at a golf club for a coffee.  It was amazing there was nothing particularly French about the club house or the grounds.  We could have been at any golf club in the United States except that everybody was speaking French.  There was nothing in particular that we wanted to see in Grasse and the Fragonard museum and shop were closed so we continued on to St. Paul de Vence which was the place that we wanted to go to the most.

St. Paul de Vence is a very old fortified city near Vence.  It became a border town and was first fortified in 1388.  The fortification that you see today were built in 1538.  It was a favorite town for artists, and Marc Chagall lived there for 19 years before his death in 1985.

From this picture you can see what a beautiful town it is perched on the top of the hill.  You can also see the incredible color of the blue sky.  The light in the south of France is absolutely fantastic.  You will note the mural by Chagall on the side of a building in this little school.  Never did I attend a school with a Marc Chagall (or any other famous artist) mural on the wall, much less an exterior wall where it is accessible to all.

As soon as we arrived we had lunch at at wonderful restaurant just inside the walls of the fortified city called Le Tilleul (the lime tree).  We sat outside with a view of the valley below on a gloriously sunny day.  It was the third time that we have had lunch at this restaurant.  The food is very good, the service is wonderful and the view is fantastic.

Unfortunately, after lunch we had to choose between walking in the old city or visiting the Foundation Maeght.  While we had to miss a stroll in this beautiful old city, for us there was no question, we had to go to the Foundation Maeght.

We have visited this museum on numerous occasions and have loved it every time.  If you are ever in this area, it should be on your list of places you must visit.  Here is the link to the website.  It describes the place better than I can.

The Marguerite and Aimé Maeght Foundation is a unique example of a private European Foundation. Inaugurated on July 28th 1964 by André Malraux, then Minister of Cultural Affairs, this architectural ensemble was entirely conceived and financed by Marguerite and Aimé Maeght to present modern and contemporary art in all its forms. Painters and sculptors collaborated closely in the realisation of this Foundation with Catalan architect Lluís Sert by creating frequently monumental works integrated into the building and gardens: the Giacometti courtyard, one of the world’s most famous ‘in-situ’ works, the Miró labyrinth filled with sculptures and ceramics, the mural mosaics by Chagall and Tal-Coat, the pool and stained glass window by Braque, the Bury fountain…
A true museum in nature, the Maeght Foundation is an exceptional site that contains one of the most important collections in Europe, with paintings, sculptures; drawings and graphic works of modern art from the 20th century (Bonnard, Braque, Calder, Chagall, Chillida, Giacometti, Léger, Miró, Ubac…) and contemporary artists (Adami, Calzolari, Caro, Del Re, Dietman, Kelly, Mitchell, Monory, Oh Sufan, Takis, Tàpies...).

Last year when we visited it was drizzling, and there was rather dense fog which gave a completely different feeling to the outdoor sculptures and other works of art.  Today, there was a brilliant blue sky and bright sun so we had a completely different experience.  If you pay an extra 5 euros you can take pictures.

Today was a day of great beauty and culture.  How lucky we are to be able to get such joy from these wonderful works of art installed in nature.

Thanks for reading and please comment,
The Unabashed Liberal