FOUNDATION MAEGHT

WEBSITE: WWW.FONDATION-MAEGHT.COM
LOCATION: SAINT-PAUL DE VENCE, FRANCE
NEAREST AIRPORTS: NICE CÔTE D’AZUR AIRPORT, 20MINS DRIVE

Architecture is an integral part of how the art is displayed at the Maeght. It is a purpose built villa in the South of France, constructed of internal and external spaces. There is a sculpture garden, art courtyards, gallery spaces, and a library.

Founded in the 1960s by Marguerite and Aimé Maeght to display modern art in all its forms, the collection includes some of the C20th greatest artists (Aimé was an art dealer in Paris, with a great eye for quality which brought him his fame and fortune).

Joan Miró, Alexander Calder, Fernand Leger, Georges Braque, Alberto Giacometti, Marc Chagall and Eduardo Chillida are just some of the names you will come across at the foundation. What makes it truly pilgrimage-worthy however, are the “in-situ” works by Giacometti, the Miró labyrinth filled with sculptures and ceramics, the mural mosaics of Chagall and Tal Coat, Braque’s pool and stained glass window, and the Bury fountain. The views across the French countryside are remarkable and work as a beautiful backdrop for the sculptures.

Once you have finished wondering the galleries and gardens (the foundation does also organise special exhibitions and often lend works. If you are looking to see a particular work from the collection, it is worth checking that it is not on loan), I recommend going down to Saint-Paul-de-Vence to try some of the local restaurants rather than the foundation’s cafe. The place to be is, of course, the La Colombe d’Or with its rich history of artist clientele and a collection of its own for punters to admire.