From Van Gogh to Cocteau: Artistic Destinations in the South of France

This list is a work in progress. I decided to share it even though it's not complete because I love all these places and I cant wait. Living in the South of France, between italy and Spain, has profoundly changed my taste in art. This is a list of magnificent places, and I highly recommend all of them. Let yourself be mesmerized as scenes you know from art books come to life before your eyes.

Menton

Menton features three key sites dedicated to the work of Jean Cocteau:

  1. Jean Cocteau Museum – Bastion: A 17th-century fort that Cocteau transformed into a museum. Opened in 1966, it showcases his mosaics, drawings, and other works, and hosts temporary exhibitions.

  2. Séverin Wunderman Collection: Once housing an extensive collection of Cocteau's art, this venue has been closed since 2018 due to earthquake damage.

  3. Salle des Mariages: A ceremonial room in Menton’s Town Hall, entirely decorated by Cocteau in 1957 with murals and unique designs.

    These locations emphasize Menton’s strong connection to Cocteau's legacy. Let me know if you'd like more details about any of these venues.

    Jean Cocteau

Roquebrune-Cap-Martin

4. Cabanon de Le Corbusier

A modernist architectural masterpiece designed by Le Corbusier.

Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

5. Le Jardin de la Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild – Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
A stunning garden that has been the subject of many artistic depictions.

Nice

  1. Musée Matisse
    A museum dedicated to the works of Henri Matisse, located in the artist's home city.

  2. Musée du Vieux Nice

    Depicts the region’s art, culture, and history

  3. Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain
    A museum housing works from the 20th century onward, including pieces by Yves Klein and Niki de Saint Phalle.

  4. Musée Marc Chagall
    Dedicated to the works of Marc Chagall, featuring paintings, stained glass, and tapestries.

  5. Musée Matisse
    This museum displays a significant collection of Matisse’s works, including paintings, drawings, and sculptures.

  6. The Promenade des Anglais
    A famous promenade that has inspired many artists over the years, especially during the 19th and 20th centuries.

    Vence

  7. Matisse’s Private Chapel –
    A chapel designed by Matisse, showcasing his work in stained glass and interior design.

    Saint-Paul de Vence

  8. Fondation Maeght
    A major collection of modern and contemporary art, including works by Miró, Chagall, and Giacometti.

    Cagnes-sur-Mer

  9. The House of Matisse
    The house where Matisse lived and worked, showcasing some of his most personal works.

    Antibes

  10. Fondation Hartung-Bergman
    Dedicated to the works of Hans Hartung and Anna-Eva Bergman, this museum is set in the couple’s former residence.

  11. Musée Picasso
    A museum in Picasso's former studio, showcasing his works from various periods.

  12. Antibes Old Town

    A beautiful location with deep artistic ties, including Picasso’s work.

    Vallauris

  13. Picasso’s Former Studio
    The studio where Picasso worked and created his famous ceramic pieces.

    Cannes

  14. Le Suquet
    The historic district that has been a subject of inspiration for many artists.

    Mougins

  15. Musée de la Photographie
    A museum dedicated to photography, located in the charming village of Mougins.

    Grasse

  16. Grasse Perfume Museum
    A museum celebrating the art of perfume, showcasing its link with art and craftsmanship.

  17. Musée Jean-Honoré Fragonard

    Celebrates the work of the Rococo painter Fragonard.

    Saint-Tropez

  18. Musée de l'Annonciade
    A museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art, especially fauvism.

  19. Musée de l'Annonciade

    A museum showcasing 20th-century art, especially fauvism.

  20. Place des Lices

    A lively square surrounded by art galleries.

    Hyères

  21. Villa Noailles
    A modernist villa hosting contemporary art exhibitions and architecture.

    Toulon

  22. Musée des Beaux-Arts

    An excellent collection of Provençal art.

    Six four les plages

  23. Maison des cignes

    Cassis

  24. Château de Cassis
    A site often depicted by artists, with breathtaking views and historical importance.

    Marseille

  25. Musée des Civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée (MuCEM)
    A museum that brings together contemporary art and Mediterranean cultures.

  26. Musée des Beaux-Arts
    A museum showcasing a rich collection of classical and modern art.

  27. Musée d'Art Contemporain
    A museum featuring contemporary artworks, with a focus on local and international artists.

  28. Musée d'Histoire Naturelle
    A museum dedicated to natural history, often featuring artistic representations of nature.

  29. Musée de la Vieille Charité
    A former almshouse now housing a collection of art and archeology

    Aix-en-Provence

  30. Musée Granet
    Features a vast collection of paintings, including works by Cézanne, who was from Aix.

  31. The Cézanne Trail
    A self-guided tour of sites important in Cézanne’s life and work.

  32. The Cézanne Studio
    The artist's former studio, where he created some of his most famous works.

  33. The Victor Vasarely Foundation
    A museum dedicated to the works of the Op Art pioneer, Victor Vasarely.

  34. Le Jardin de la Fondation Vasarely

    Dedicated to Op Art, it is home to vibrant geometric art.

    Roussillon

  35. The Red Rocks of Roussillon
    Vibrant red cliffs that have inspired countless artists, particularly for their bold colors.

    L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue

  36. The Sorgue River and its Art Galleries
    Known as the Venice of Provence, this village is filled with antique and art galleries.

    Avignon

  37. Musée Calvet
    An art museum with a mix of classical and contemporary works, housed in a historic mansion.

  38. Palais des Papes
    A massive Gothic palace that houses historical art collections and exhibitions.

  39. Pont Saint-Bénézet
    The historic bridge made famous by the song "Sur le Pont d’Avignon."

    Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

  40. Van Gogh’s Olive Trees
    The landscape that inspired Van Gogh's famous series of olive tree paintings.

    Les Baux-de-Provence

  41. Carrières de Lumières
    An immersive art experience projecting famous artworks onto the walls of a former quarry.

  42. The Baux-de-Provence
    Known for its stunning medieval architecture, inspiring countless artists.

    Arles

  43. LUMA Foundation
    A contemporary art space housed in an iconic building designed by Frank Gehry.

  44. Musée Arlaten
    An ethnographic museum focused on the traditions and culture of Provence.

  45. Espace Van Gogh
    A historic site where Van Gogh was treated and created many of his famous works.

  46. Place du Forum
    A lively square famous for being featured in Van Gogh’s paintings.

  47. Espace Van Gogh
    Van Gogh’s former residence and mental hospital, where many of his iconic works were created.

    Nîmes

  48. Musée des Beaux-Arts
    A museum housing classic works and regional art.

  49. Les Arènes de Nîmes
    A well-preserved Roman amphitheater often featured in art depicting ancient history.

  50. Musée des Beaux-Arts

    A museum housing classical art.

    montpellier

  51. Muse Fabre

    Sete

Strombolly

Haunted by memories of her broken marriage and a fight with her daughter, a woman joins an intense self-help retreat when her vacation goes awry.

Release date: November 3, 2022 (Netherlands)

Director: Michiel van Erp

Languages: English, Dutch

Distributed by: Netflix

Based on: Stromboli; by Saskia Noort

Music by: Rutger Reinders

The retreat uses Role-playing used as a psychological treatment. It is called psychodrama.

Psychodrama is a therapeutic approach developed by Jacob L. Moreno that involves participants acting out events or scenes from their lives. This method helps individuals explore emotions, gain insight into their behaviors, and work through interpersonal conflicts or traumatic experiences. It often includes techniques like role reversal, mirroring, and future projection to foster self-awareness and emotional healing.

Fragment of a Synagogue Screen with Menorah, 6th-7th century

The Synagogue at Ashkelon
During the Byzantine period, the synagogue was constructed to promote an atmosphere of sanctity and was often referred to as "the holy place." It featured wall inscriptions and intricately carved reliefs as well as a chancel screen. An innovation adopted from Christian contexts and seen in many synagogues from this period, the screen separated the Holy Ark housing the Torah scrolls, the most sacred part of the synagogue, from the rest of the hall. Fragments of the Ashkelon Synagogue were discovered during the nineteenth century, though no complete structure has ever been excavated.
Each side of this intricately carved relief from the synagogue’s chancel screen features a menorah alongside guilloches containing rosettes. The menorah is flanked by a shofar (ram’s horn), a lulav (palm frond), and an ethrog (citron), which often appear in the decoration of Byzantine synagogues.

The Mishneh Torah

The Mishneh Torah is the magnum opus of Moses Maimonides, the renowned medieval philosopher. This remarkable text consolidates Jewish law into a systematic, comprehensive and accessible anthology, still consulted by rabbis and scholars today.

This manuscript copy of the Mishneh Torah is one of the most sumptuous ever made. Large illuminations illustrating aspects of the law preface different sections of the book. Law books rarely benefitted from such lavish decoration. With no iconographic precedent to guide him, the painter looked to the world around him. Thus the manuscript provides an opulent guide to contemporary costume, buildings, and customs. With its burnished gold letters and inventive narrative scenes, it attests to the refined aesthetic sensibility of the elite members of Italy’s Jewish community.

Hostages

Noa Argamani, Carmel Gat, Agam Berger

New collage prints

In the middle of the war, I needed a break from everything related to it—a moment to rest. The news about the pope selling out the Jews was a heavy blow. My response was denial—or positivity, if you prefer to call it that. I choose what defines me, not the pope. With all due respect, I decide what I’m about: color, shape, jokes, and flowers. I feel that collage can be deeply serious, too, but for now, it was simply fun.

David Bowie’s list of 100 favorite books

I came across this list, and I absolutely loved it.

It might take me a while to get everything linked, but I’m definitely assigning myself this homework!

Its fun to mark them as you go. I am adding a printable version of the list for you to download:

Download

  1. Billy Liar – Keith Waterhouse

  2. Room at the Top – John Braine

  3. On Having No Head – Douglas Harding

  4. Kafka Was the Rage – Anatole Broyard

  5. A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess

  6. City of Night – John Rechy

  7. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao – Junot Díaz

  8. Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert

  9. Iliad – Homer (translated by E.V. Rieu)

  10. As I Lay Dying – William Faulkner

  11. Tadanori Yokoo – Tadanori Yokoo

  12. Berlin Alexanderplatz – Alfred Döblin

  13. Inside the Whale and Other Essays – George Orwell

  14. Mr. Norris Changes Trains – Christopher Isherwood

  15. Halls Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art – James A. Hall

  16. David Bomberg – Richard Cork

  17. Blast – Edited by Wyndham Lewis

  18. Passing – Nella Larsen

  19. Beyond the Brillo Box – Arthur C. Danto

  20. The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind – Julian Jaynes

  21. In Bluebeard’s Castle – George Steiner

  22. Hawksmoor – Peter Ackroyd

  23. The Divided Self – R.D. Laing

  24. The Stranger – Albert Camus

  25. Infants of the Spring – Wallace Thurman

  26. The Quest for Christa T. – Christa Wolf

  27. The Songlines – Bruce Chatwin

  28. Nights at the Circus – Angela Carter

  29. The Master and Margarita – Mikhail Bulgakov

  30. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie – Muriel Spark

  31. Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov

  32. Herzog – Saul Bellow

  33. Puckoon – Spike Milligan

  34. Black Boy – Richard Wright

  35. The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald

  36. The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea – Yukio Mishima

  37. Darkness at Noon – Arthur Koestler

  38. The Waste Land – T.S. Eliot

  39. McTeague – Frank Norris

  40. Money – Martin Amis

  41. The Outsider – Colin Wilson

  42. Strange People – Frank Edwards

  43. English Journey – J.B. Priestley

  44. A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole

  45. The Day of the Locust – Nathanael West

  46. 1984 – George Orwell

  47. Animal Farm – George Orwell

  48. Slaughterhouse-Five – Kurt Vonnegut

  49. The Fire Next Time – James Baldwin

  50. A People’s History of the United States – Howard Zinn

  51. The Age of American Unreason – Susan Jacoby

  52. Metropolitan Life – Fran Lebowitz

  53. The Coast of Utopia – Tom Stoppard

  54. The Bridge – Hart Crane

  55. The New York Trilogy – Paul Auster

  56. The Portable Dorothy Parker – Dorothy Parker

  57. The Trial – Franz Kafka

  58. All the Emperor’s Horses – David Kidd

  59. The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea – Yukio Mishima

  60. Tales of Beatnik Glory – Ed Sanders

  61. Nowhere to Run – Gerri Hirshey

  62. Before the Deluge – Otto Friedrich

  63. Sexual Personae: Art and Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson – Camille Paglia

  64. The American Way of Death – Jessica Mitford

  65. Teenage – Jon Savage

  66. Vile Bodies – Evelyn Waugh

  67. The Hidden Persuaders – Vance Packard

  68. The Trial of Henry Kissinger – Christopher Hitchens

  69. Maldoror – Comte de Lautréamont

  70. On the Road – Jack Kerouac

  71. Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonder – Lawrence Weschler

  72. Zanoni – Edward Bulwer-Lytton

  73. Transcendental Magic, Its Doctrine and Ritual – Eliphas Lévi

  74. The Gnostic Gospels – Elaine Pagels

  75. The Leopard – Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa

  76. Inferno – Dante Alighieri

  77. A Grave for a Dolphin – Alberto Denti di Pirajno

  78. The Insult – Rupert Thomson

  79. In Cold Blood – Truman Capote

  80. Fingersmith – Sarah Waters

  81. The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks

  82. The Diamond as Big as the Ritz – F. Scott Fitzgerald

  83. Lady into Fox – David Garnett

  84. Orlando – Virginia Woolf

  85. Seven Years in Tibet – Heinrich Harrer

  86. The Spirit of Man – Robert Byron

  87. The Man Who Fell to Earth – Walter Tevis

  88. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter – Carson McCullers

  89. The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath

  90. Hunger – Knut Hamsun

  91. A Night to Remember – Walter Lord

  92. The Outsider – Albert Camus

  93. The Metamorphosis – Franz Kafka

  94. We Have Always Lived in the Castle – Shirley Jackson

  95. A People's Tragedy – Orlando Figes

  96. The Story of Art – E.H. Gombrich

  97. Lives of the Great Composers – Harold C. Schonberg

  98. The Origin of the Species – Charles Darwin

  99. A Season in Hell – Arthur Rimbaud

  100. Interviews With Francis Bacon – David Sylvester