Join us over the course of three days as we learn about Cezanne, Van Gogh, and Matisse and their lives and work in Provence from a local art historian. Then relax with us and our Untours Provence staffer Anne with shared conversations over some tastier parts of French culture, including coffee, wine, and happy hour snacks. Click the Buy Tickets button for pricing.

Cézanne, van Gogh, and Matisse were principal innovators in the development of modern art. All three spent significant time in the south of France, where they found inspiration in the dramatic light and bold landscapes of Provence and the Riviera. In a series of live, online lectures, we will trace the lives and careers of these artists as they moved away from conventional modes of representation, toward a new art of powerful expression and daring abstraction. 

We will see how Cézanne’s encounter with the clear light of the south led him to reject the soft textures and amorphous forms of impressionism for firmly constructed compositions of geometric shapes. We will also see how van Gogh and Matisse, both northerners, strengthened and heightened their color palettes in response to what they perceived as a luxurious, exotic south of warm climes, sunny skies and verdant landscapes. Van Gogh turned to contrasting complementary pairings like orange and blue to convey the brilliance and intensity of southern heat and light. Matisse went a step further, his canvases wild explosions of hot, vivid, unnatural color. He once said ‘When I paint green, it doesn’t mean grass; when I paint blue, it doesn’t mean sky.'

After each of Pamela’s 90-minute sessions on artists, we’ll have an optional social time with a different focus each day.

After Tuesday’s session, we’ll drink coffee (French roast recommended) or French soda (Orangina anyone?) together. Since it’s the season of Epiphany, Anne will talk about a popular Provençal tradition for the holiday involving cake, a bean, and hard cider. This will also be an opportunity to ask questions about life and travel in Provence. (30 minutes)

After Wednesday’s session, Anne will introduce us to the culture of the French apero. She’ll talk about some typical drinks and snacks that the people of Provence enjoy when the socialize before dinner with friends. We’ll send you some food and drink recommendations ahead of time. (30 minutes)

After Thursday’s session, Anne will share her insider knowledge of the wines of Provence. There will be time at the end for a drink together and questions and discussion about the wine you may be sampling. We’ll recommend some of Anne’s favorite wines. (1 hour)

Here is the detailed schedule:

PRESENTERS

Pamela Morton is an artist and university teacher who has been living and working in the south of France for over thirty years. An expert on Provence and the artists of the south, she has organized and led museum and site visits for cultural organizations and college students. She lectures on Picasso and Matisse as well as on Cezanne and van Gogh and has taught painting and drawing along with 19th and 20th century art history courses for study abroad programs in Aix and Marseille. With a background that includes art restoration and museum education, Pamela brings special insight to her understanding of artistic works and their settings both in time and place. Like the artists she studies and admires, Pamela finds inspiration for her own work in the bold light and landscapes of the south of France.

Anne Plomb is our Untours on-site representative in Provence. Anne is French and has been living in Provence with her family for over 20 years. She previously lived and worked in Paris, but after a trip to sunny Provence, she decided to stay as she fell in love with the rolling hills, relaxed atmosphere and seemingly perfect weather. We don’t blame her! She has trained extensively in oenology and first worked in sales, both in London and in France. After a period of time off raising her two children (now teenagers), she returned to the same industry, but shifted focus to wine-tourism. She continued her oenology training at the University of Suze la Rousse and received certification to become an official tour guide of the region specializing in wine. For the past six years, she has worked for a private tour company welcoming customers from all over the world, including the US, Australia and China.

Terms and Conditions. No cash refunds, but if you cancel more than two days prior to the event, we will offer a credit for any future Virtual Experience. 

Image by Allanos from Pixabay