A Visual
Tour
Now,
let's take a commented tour to sample some of Golfe Juan's Art Déco
heritage. Luxurious they are not; modest, rather. But nonetheless
attractive. The façade in this first photo illustrates
Art Déco's taste for symmetry and geometric figures. Shutters
were down for nap time. In the second photo, another housefront displays
the intensely angular sunburst patterns typical of Art Déco, whose
zig-zags were a sharp contrast to Art Nouveau's lissome, 'whiplash' movements.
(The bedding put out to air suggests that perhaps nap time was now over!)
In photo three, notice the door's wrought iron fountain motif, another
favorite of Art Déco. The pastel hues (blue and pink) are
reminiscent of the 'tropical' Art Déco style found in such places
as Miami Beach and Montevideo, Uruguay, but quite absent in most of its
northern expression such as Parisian Déco.
![House with sunburst design...](GolfeJuan2_sm.jpg)
House with Sunburst Design
Wrought Iron Grille in Fountain Motif
Another
door's
angular pillars (photo four) are offset by wrought iron curlicues
~ not zig-zags, but strictly symmetrical. In photo five, note the
fruit bowl motif, another Art Déco favorite. In the next photo
there are two shades of pink here and a touch of exoticism with the announcement
in Arabic, Dar Kebira, telling one that this is a 'big house' which
- look closely - it may not be.
![Wrought Iron door with curlicues](GolfeJuan4_sm.jpg) ![Door with fruit bowl motif](GolfeJuan5_sm.jpg)
Three Entrances
with Wrought Iron Art Déco Designs
Perhaps
even
more exotic are these two
Egyptian-looking palm
tree pillars in photo seven.
The discovery
of Tutankhamen's tomb in the early 1920s had a strong influence on Art
Déco's stylistic development. In comparison, the eighth photo
shows a more recent building perpetuating Déco's predilection for
color and sharply-angled lines, as does the last photo, an August 2005
decoration executed in a Golfe Juan shorefront studio by a young artist,
who also happens to be this article's photographer!
* See
"Cannes: A Resort for All Season's", FRANCE On Your Own, Spring
2003.
[Photos ©2005-2006
by Clara Liegeon-Dudezert]
Among the 16
strolls Arthur guides to discover Paris Through the Ages is
an Art Déco itinerary.
For more information
on this and his other walks, contact him at Armedv@aol.com,
mentioning FRANCE On Your Own.
![](imageBO5.JPG)
|
Ici
et Là
This column
is intended to advise you about cultural events, news and happenings
in France
or France-related events taking place in the United States
between
now and the publication of our next issue.
o Exhibits
in the US Chicago's
wonderful Art Institute hosts a retrospective entitled, Girodet: Romantic
Rebel, the work of an artist who was influenced by history and politics
following the French Revolution through April 30. More information
at http://www.artic.edu.
Omaha, Nebraska is the site of an eight foot-high scale model in an exhibit
entitled French Donjons: Castle of Coucy, Medieval Life in Miniature
which includes some 2500 figures depicting life in a French castle during
the Middle Ages. At the Joslyn Art Museum through May 7. For
details visit http://www.joslyn.org.
The Frick Collection (at http://www.frick.org)
hosts an exhibit in New York City, through May 14, entitled Goya's Last
Works, at a time when Goya fled to Bordeaux to escape persecution in
Spain at the hands of King Ferdinand VII. The over 50 works of art
include ivories completed when he was 80 years of age.
Facets of Cubism is the title of an exhibit in Boston at the Museum
of Fine Arts through April 16. The show features the work of artists
such as Braque, Picasso, Léger, Laurens and others.
Washington DC is the location for Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec and
Sickert: London and Paris, 1870 - 1910, a presentation of over 90 works
of art, some never publicly displayed before, showing the influence of
Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec on Great Britain and includes work by Vuillard,
Tissot, Bonnat and others. Through May 14 at the Phillips Collection.
For details http://www.phillipscollection.org.
New York City's Museum at FIT (http://www.fitnyc.edu)
will host Modern Master: Lucien Lelong, Couturier 1918-1948
through April 15. See his designs to enable freedom of movement
worn by the rich, famous and royal. He influenced the houses of Givenchy,
Balmain and Dior.
The Museum of Florida History (http://www.museumoffloridahistory.com)
will present an exhibit entitled, Napoleon: An Intimate Portrait,
focusing on the daily life of the emperor with paintings, documents,
and furniture. Through April 30.
West Palm Beach, Florida and its Norton Museum of Art is the site for Matisse
in Transition: Around Laurette. This is a display of his
portrait painting between 1916 and 1919, prior to his later years in Nice.
Through April 16. Cézanne
in Provence (before appearing in Aix-en-Provence) will be exhibited
in Washington DC through May 7 at the National Gallery of Art (http://www.nga.gov)
displaying the works of this founder of modern art with over 120 pieces
of his best oil paintings and watercolors.
Finally, in Baltimore at the Walter Art Museum through May 21, visitors
can view 40 works by Louise Bourgeios: Femme, The Art of a Living
Legend in a Legendary Art Museum ~ this artist installed the exhibit
herself. A French native who emigrated to the US in the late 1940s,
Bourgeois' art depicts the life experiences of women.
o Performing
Arts
A French Film Festival, the largest ever to be held in the United
States, will begin on March 31 and run through April 2 at Virginia's Byrd
Theatre in Richmond. For further information visit http://www.frenchfilm.vcu.edu.
o French
travel
Order your 2006 France Guide, free of charge, from the French Government
Tourist office to help you plan your next visit to France. To order
your copy visit www.franceguide.com/us
or contact the public information hotline "France-on-Call" at 514-288-1904.
Allow 3 to 4 weeks for delivery or ask for Priority mail (three days) for
a reasonable shipping and handling fee.
o Entertainment,
Euro-style
International Film Festival to
May 28 in Cannes on the French Riviera. You can Email for details
to festival@festival-cannes.fr
or visit their web site at http://www.festival-cannes.fr
. This is the greatest festival in the world devoted to the cinema.
The Festival de Cannes presents a wide range of films and events,
and whose awards are as coveted as the Oscars of Hollywood.
International Detective Film Festival to April 9 in Cognac in the region
of Poitou-Charentes. Email: sbobe@cognac.fr
or visit their web site at http://www.festival.cognac.fr.
Banlieues Bleues ~ Jazz, blues, world music in 16 towns in the
département
Seine-Saint-Denis
(93) in the Île de France (Paris outskirts).
o Exhibits,
Fêtes and Festivals in France
Cézanne and Pissarro 1865-1885
at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris through May 28th. For twenty
years (1865-1885), these two impressionists, linked by friendship, supported
each other. Portraits, still lifes, and landscapes by Cézanne and
Pissarro have been brought together to show the converging viewpoints of
the two painters around 1875.
Book Show until March 22 at the Porte de Versailles, Paris presented
by the Salon du Livre de Paris (http://www.salondulivreparis.com)
The most important literary gathering in France, as much for the number
and diversity of the exhibitors, as for its great success with the general
public. Numerous events are offered including forums, literary cafés,
conferences, debates and themed areas.
The Fête du Nautisme until May 14, throughout France. Email
: info@fetedunautisme.com
or visit their web site at
http://www.fetedunautisme.com
. Promoted as two thrilling days for the whole of France on coasts,
lakes and rivers. The Fête du Nautisme invites everyone, young and
old, beginner and expert, to "go with the flow" for a weekend. Everyone
can find out all about the different kinds of water sports, try out specific
products and packages, and share their passion with the people who experience
it every day. Formula
1 Grand Prix May 25 to 28 in Monaco. Web site: http://www.monaco-tourisme.com
The most prestigious Formula 1 Grand Prix, through the streets of the principality.
Museums by Night on May 20th (http://www.nuitdesmusees.culture.fr)
During this event, participating museums can be visited free of charge
from sunset until one in the morning.
o Art
Courses in the Dordogne 2007 Le
Prieuré au Château de Biron, under the new proprietorship
of Sally Evans, will offer an all inclusive package for aspiring artists.
The 2007 dates are end of May/early June, end of September/early October,
and Easter (but not Whitsun). The package includes group transport
to and from Bergerac airport, seven nights accommodation at Le Prieuré
in the absolutely charming village of Biron, breakfast each morning, a
light lunch with wine, dinner on six evenings prepared by a professionally-trained
chef, and daily full-time art classes with a talented artist/art teacher.
Ten persons per class. The only extras are for non-painting partners
or friends who want to go on excursions while others are painting.
Price is a reasonable € 850 per person/double occupancy.
o Hear's
a Journey Don't
drive in Provence without the Hear's a Journey audio tapes in your
car! Let the two 'guides' on the Driving Tour Through Provence
tape take you along a route that includes the Abbaye de Senanque, L'Isle
sur la Sorgue (an antiquer's paradise!), Fontaine de Vaucluse, Roussillon,
Gordes, and other not-to-miss places in Provence. Drive with the
tape on, stop when you choose, and resume listening when you are again
on the road. It couldn't be easier! The tape comes with a handy
little guide that includes copious notes about each stop, driving directions,
maps, market days, festivals and events ~ all for $15.95 US plus
postage and handling. And, the shipping costs don't increase whether
you order one tape or several! To learn more, visit their web site
at www.HearsAJourney.com or
send an email to info@HearsAJourney.com.
o Artists
are invited A
château stay and painting excursion to France is scheduled for June
24 to June 30, 2006. The group will be accompanied by Linda Hankin,
artist and Director of the School of the Arts in Lewiston, New York.
Participants will stay at the beautiful and historic Château
de Crazannes on the River Charente in the département
of Charente-Maritime, paint on site as well as during day trips to nearby
La Rochelle and other appropriate locales. To learn more about the trip,
what is included and other details such as costs, please contact Linda
by phone at 1.716.471.5379 or send an email to her at schoolofideas@on.aibn.com.
o The
Women's Travel Club This
is a travel agency based in New York that organizes trips for women and
has been in business since 1992. They have a newsletter and web site,
as well as a paid membership, a benefit of which is said to be discounts
on travel. Currently, April trips to Provence and Paris are planned.
We do not have any personal experience with this group, so we are not endorsing
them, but we also have heard nothing negative about them. If you
are interested in learning more, you can send an email to womantrip@aol.com
or visit their web site at http://www.womenstravelclub.com.
o Historic
Strolls in Paris Discover
the hidden treasures of the City of Light with Arthur Gillette on his Paris
Through the Ages strolls. Choose from one of more of
the following to explore the city with this historian on your next
visit:
-
1
Lutetia:
Roman Paris
-
2
A
Medieval Sampler
-
3
Learning
in Paris
-
4
The
Wall Route Right Bank
-
5
The
Wall Route Left Bank
-
6
Notre
Dame Cathedral
-
7
Cradle
of the Capital: Île de la Cité
-
8
Around
rue de la Huchette: Heart of the Latin Quarter
-
9
The
"Grand Century" on the Île St. Louis
-
10 The
Naughty Marais
-
11 Atmosphère
Along The Canal St-Martin
-
12 The
Mouffetard Quarter: “Quaint” PLUS
-
13 Smiling
Architecture: Parisian Art Nouveau
-
14 Meet
the Marne
-
15 Cool,
Clean and Angular – Art Déco Architecture in Paris
-
16 19
- 25 August 1944: The Liberation of Paris
Contact Arthur
at armedv@aol.com to schedule your
tour. We've enjoyed numbers 7, 9, 13 and 16, and can't wait for our
next visit to experience yet another!
Congratulations to . . . us!
This
issue of FRANCE On Your Own marks the beginning of our tenth year
of publication!
Starting
out as a print quarterly, our newsletter has evolved with technology into
an online (and now free)
publication
~ and we sincerely hope that is it informative, interesting, and useful
to all you independent travelers to France!
Over the
years we have had the pleasure of getting to know many of you through both
our
web site and
this newsletter. Thank you for your loyalty and continued interest.
We thank
our dedicated contributors who have helped make FRANCE On Your Own
unique and
who have often given us the opportunity to bring you information before
it appears elsewhere.
Our special
appreciation goes to Arthur Gillette and Panos Kakaviatos for their
constancy
and their insightful and entertaining contributions to FRANCE
On Your
Own.
And,
to all the other writers, expats and experts on France, we can't thank
you enough!
Most of
all, we thank France and the French for being there to give us
inspiration
and the world's best travel destination year after year.
So,
here's to our tenth year, to all of you and to France! Bon voyage!
previous page
next page ![page three](arrowfront2.gif)
|