The Maeght Foundation, or the timeless modern

Impossible to resist its devastating charm. Designed by the Catalan architect Josep Lluís Sert on the heights of an emblematic village of artists, the foundation of Aimé and Marguerite Maeght could not better illustrate the famous verses of Baudelaire: "There, everything is only order and beauty, luxury, calm and voluptuousness. » Tiered gardens, sculptures almost everywhere, immaculate buildings under the sun, pools of water vibrating with the azure sky… Giacometti and Miró are the most famous inhabitants, happy immortals among the cicadas.
What there is to know In 1945, the Maeght gallery opened in Paris. Very close to the artists of their time ( Matisse , Léger , Bonnard …), Aimé and Marguerite Maeght quickly made it an important place of modernity, which organized a major surrealist exhibition in 1947. Bereaved by the death of their son Bernard in 1953, the couple decided to follow the advice of Georges Braque and engaged in a unique project: the opening of a foundation. They go to the United States, visit the Guggenheim and come back filled with ideas and ambitions. Josep Lluís Sert designs several buildings for the steep site of Saint-Paul de Vence: a café, a library, exhibition spaces. All white, and characterized by spectacular openings onto the surroundings, courtyards and gardens populated by sculptures. In 1964, André Malraux inaugurated these walls where modern art still attracts 200,000 visitors a year. Not to miss Of course, Miró 's garden and labyrinth are the ultra-photogenic highlights of a visit to the Maeght Foundation. But don't underestimate its temporary exhibitions, which are always excellent. This summer, make way for a selection of abstract paintings from the Fondation Gandeur pour l'Art – with rare works by Sam Francis, Pierre Soulages , Joan Mitchell , François Morellet. Dazzling! Maeght Foundation 623 Chemin des Gardettes • 06570 Saint-Paul-de-Vence www.fondation-maeght.com Seen in Beaux Arts - article by Mailys Celeux Lanval