Picasso spent ten years just northeast of Cannes in VALLAURIS, set in the hills above the Golfe Juan.
It was here that he first began to use clay, thereby reviving one of
the traditional crafts of this little town. Today the main street, avenue Georges-Clemenceau, sells nothing but pottery, much of it the garishly glazed bowls and figurines that could feature in souvenir shops anywhere. Picasso used
to work in the Madoura workshop, on avenue des
Ancien-Combattants-d'AFN, to the right as you come down avenue
Georges-Clemenceau; it still has sole rights on reproducing Picasso's
designs, which it sells, at a price, in the shop (Mon-Fri only).
The bronze statue of Man with a Sheep,
Picasso's gift to the town, stands in the main square and marketplace,
place de la Libération, beside the church and castle. The local
authorities also suggested he should decorate the early medieval deconsecrated
chapel in the castle courtyard (daily except Tues: June-Sept
10am-6.30pm; rest of year 10am-noon & 2-5pm; €2.59), which he
finally did in 1952: his subject was war and peace. The space is tiny
and has the architectural simplicity
of an air-raid shelter, and at first glance it's easy to be unimpressed
by the painted panels covering the vault - as many critics still are - since
the work looks mucky and slapdash, with paint-runs on the plywood panel
surface. But stay a while and the passion of this violently drawn
pacifism slowly emerges. On the "War" panel, a music score is trampled by hooves
and about to be engulfed in flames; a fighter's lance tenuously holds
the scales of justice and a shield that bears the outline of a dove.
"Peace" is represented by Pegasus,
the winged horse of Greek myth; people dancing and suckling babies;
trees bearing fruit; owls; books; and the freedom of the spirit to mix
up images and concepts with well-intentioned mischief. The ticket for
the chapel also gives admission to the Musée de Céramique in the castle (same hours; €2.59), which exhibits Picasso's and other ceramics.
There are regular buses from Cannes and from Golfe-Juan
SNCF to place de la Libération. The tourist office is at the bottom of
avenue Georges-Clemenceau on square du 8-Mai-1945 (July & Aug daily
7am-7pm; rest of year Mon-Sat 9am-noon & 2-6pm; tel 04.93.63.82.58,
www.crt-riviera.fr ).
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