Exhibition "Picasso Cézanne" - Musee Granet of Aix en Provence
Until September, 27th 2009
Aix-en-Provence, in the South of France, is famous, among many other cultural events, for being the city of Cézanne. This summer the Musée Granet dedicates a beautiful and rich exhibition to Cézanne and Picasso. Although it's kind of tiring to see such exhibitions (Picasso-Matisse in Paris at Le Centre Pompidou a few years ago, Picasso and the Masters in London at the National Gallery earlier this year, or more recently Picasso and Brassaï in Arles etc.), it was interesting to see so many famous artworks either by Cézanne or Picasso gathered in one place, most of them from private collection. It's obvious that Cézanne was the founding father of cubism but I would say the problem of this exhibition was to look for absolute parallels between both artists. If Picasso was a "sponge" of many movements in art history, the links that were highlighted in the exhibition didn't appear to be that obvious to me. On top of that, I felt it was more an exhibition about Picasso than a proper dialogue. What did you think?
It's worth going anyway, just for the beauty of the Arlequins below or the giant painting of Jacqueline, which is totally stunning !
In addition, the Château de Vauvenargues where Pablo Picasso and his wife Jacqueline lived between 1959 and 1965 opens its doors to the public only this summer, on the initiative of Catherine Hutin, Jacqueline’s daughter and the current owner. This château, built in the 17th century, was bought by Picasso in September 1958. It is where Pablo and Jacqueline Picasso were laid to rest, at the foot of the main steps on the terrace, when they died in 1973 and 1986. On top of their tomb is a bronze statue, la femme au vase, the original of which, made in 1933, was displayed at the entry of the Spanish pavilion at the international exhibition in Paris in 1937, where one of the Spanish painter’s most famous paintings, ‘Guernica’, was unveiled. It's a true opportunity to be able to visit this castle and feel Picasso's vibe.
Château de Vauvenargues - photos - Henry Ely - Aix © Droits réservés
Finally on Le Cours Mirabeau, the Conseil Général's art gallery showcases "le geste Picasso" which mainly features beautiful ceramics pieces (my favourites), movies and photographs of Picasso. It's worth going too and free.
