Artists

Le Grand Voyage: Provence

30 May 2011
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After racing through Bordeaux, I continued on to Provence for the next leg of Le Grand Voyage road trippin’ around France. A few destinations were among the top of the list. First up, Arles; ancient city and inspiration to Van Gogh’s most successful period. Next, Aix-en-Provence and Le Tholonet for some time with Cézanne whose [...]

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Fine Art Friday: Van Gogh in Arles

27 May 2011
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Thought to be as old as 2800 years, Arles is a gem standing proudly amid other Provençal giants such as Aix-en-Provence, Avignon and Marseille. Though the smallest of the group, the city exudes the heart of Provence culture with treasures packed along its narrow street, including early signs of Roman occupation as far back as [...]

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Fine Art Friday: The Art of Curating a Castle

20 May 2011
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Often times while visiting various cultural monuments, I’m looking at how those behind the scenes try to provide a sense of harmony between the space they have to work with and the artifacts they have to exhibit. If you think about it, the Loire Valley châteaux can pose many problems to those hoping to share [...]

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Fine Art Friday: In the Absence of Straight Line

22 April 2011
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Before heading to Paris, I decided to spend some time exploring Nancy. As capital of Lorraine, a strategically located province of France whose territory has been inhabited as far back as the Neolithic, Nancy is brimming with enough history and significant works of art to be coined the Capital of the East of France. This [...]

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Fine Art Friday: Vintage French Riviera

15 April 2011
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With international tourism on the rise during the late 1800′s (how else did Promenade des Anglais in Nice get its name in the 1860′s?) France began to see its hidden destinations in new light. And thanks to the advantages of the railway, the country began connecting its hottest destinations. In the early 1900′s France had [...]

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Fine Art Friday: Wild Beasts in the Riviera

25 March 2011
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There is a moment in the history of art in Paris when painting suddenly unleashes itself from social constraint in splashes of thick, vibrant colors and fluid forms. “C’est Donatello dans la cage aux fauves!” – Louis Vauxcelles The change flipped the known world of Paris upside down; people stood in shock in front of [...]

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The Making of a Provence Tradition: Pastis

9 February 2011
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The South of France is known for more than its turquoise coastline, rosé wines and luxurious lifestyle. It also brought the world sunshine in a bottle, better known as pastis. With the ban on absinthe during WW1, France was looking for another cool beverage with the same tenacity as the pungent green fairy (la fée [...]

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A Modern Adventure in Medieval Èze

1 February 2011
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A week ago, I arranged for a ride to and from the train station far from my little village. I didn’t know where I wanted to go, but I knew no matter what side of the bed I woke up on, I could always use a delightful venture away from my little corner of Provence. [...]

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