Anyone who is remotely interested in the arts should take
a voyage of exploration across France .
The Impressionist movement fell in love with the crisp clear colours of Provence , and photographers like Brassai were smitten by
the atmosphere on the streets of Paris .
Head out to Versailles and
see the marvels of the court of Louis XIVth, or just pop in to any of this
country’s amazing cathedrals and look at the stunning stained glass and carved
woodwork - wherever you travel in France , you will find the roots of
many artistic movements that eventually spread across the world.
Paris
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| Louvre, Paris. Image Credit : Moyan Benn, Flickr |
So many artists have made Paris their home that it can be difficult to
suggest a starting point for this journey of discovery. The photographer
Brassai, in common with the painter Toulouse Lautrec, was fascinated by the
louche back streets around Montmartre , and it
doesn’t take too much imagination to half close your eyes and take yourself
back to the earlier part of the 20th century.
If you are wandering around Paris you probably won’t need
any personal transport - the Metro is an artistic adventure in itself - but if
you decide to venture further afield, and if you value your independence, you
will need to hire a car to explore regional France, if only to admire and look out for all
the features that have so influenced generations of painters and sculptors, as
well as take a trip off the beaten track.
Versailles
This palace is a prime example of the splendours of the
Baroque. Louis XIV (aka The Sun King) never did things by halves. He did almost
bankrupt the country in the process, but the dazzling beauty of the Hall of
Mirrors and the gardens of le Notre are just a few of the spectacles on show.
Try and take your time here - I became so tired walking around the palace and
grounds that it started to become tricky trying to absorb so much beauty in one
spot. Pace yourself!
Provence
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| Lavender Field, Provence Image Credit : oenvoyage, Flickr |
Look at the crisp clear skies and the lavender fields
surrounding you and it’s no surprise that the South of France became a
veritable haven for artists in the latter part of the 19th Century
and the 20th century. Gaugin developed his craft here; Van Gogh
gained much of his explosive use of colour and inspiration from the surrounding
countryside, as did Picasso. The Chapel du Rosaire in Vence has stained glass
windows designed by Matisse. The list of painters who fell in love with the
lifestyle and atmosphere of the Riviera
is endless. They were, though, seeing the countryside before it became the hip
and expensive region it is today.
Pre-History
If you want to travel back in time and see some 30,000
year old paintings, then try a trip to the caves of Chauvet Pont d’Arc in
Ardeche. The paintings of the bison and the horses that were hunted and ridden
in the everyday lives of the Palaeolithic peoples still look as is they might
fly off the cave wall and become transformed into animate objects. Entrance is
restricted in order not to damage the works, but the South and South West of
France is a cornucopia of cave painting delights.
This is a featured article written by Celina Bledowska, journalist, art lover and writer
For more information about article placement please see my disclosure policy