"The magnificent richness of color that animates nature.” {travelogue #3}

June 21, 2012

When you are in Aix-en-Provence there is one name that comes up continuously: Paul Cézanne.
The whole town is plastered with small and great reminders of its most famous inhabitant.


Of course, as good tourists, we followed his footsteps.


They led us up a very steep hill to the place where he - as legend has it - sat and painted and sat and painted and sat and painted. We understand him very well, because we, too, fell under the spell of this view of his beloved Mont Sainte Victoire. The light and the colours are amazing there.


Nowadays this place is called the Terrain des Peintres, a hot spot for art school students as well as amateur painters.


Sitting there you really wish to be able to paint this beauty. But even old Cézanne himself doubted his ability:
“I lack the magnificent richness of color that animates nature.”

7 comments:

  1. Gorgeous! Exactly as I envision the French countryside!

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  2. What a great series of photos of your trip to Provence. There's something about the South of France that I'm so smitten with. The markets, the smell of the flowers everywhere, the colours, the houses and buildings...everything. I love those shots of the painters. You could sell those to any travel magazine!

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  3. what a beautiful place, I would love to sit there in the sun and paint, how wonderful:)

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  4. Absolutely stunning...is all I can say. You have captured the essence of travel...why we all love it so. I adore your photo of the painter..such a great shot. Thanks so much for you comment...and yes, I understand perfectly. Thank you!
    Jeanne xx

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  5. Spreading the good word over here too... :) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Collage-of-Life/173996499305527

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  6. AIx... is a favourite destination of mine.. I always think that to know Aix is to appreciate Cezanne and vice versa.... Beautiful images... xv

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    1. Thank you, Vicki - and I think you are right, it's something about the connection between this beautiful town and Cezanne's great work.
      Btw, you have a wonderful blog!

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