La Fondation Maeght: The History

When their youngest son died at a very young age, Marguerite and Aimé Maeght, on the advice of their friend Fernand Léger, decided to travel to the United States. During this trip, they visited the many American art foundations such as Barnes, Phillips, Guggenheim. They were inspired to create a place where they could display their art collection and their artist friends could work, create and exchange ideas.

One of many fountains in the gardens at the Fondation Maeght

They decided to create this meeting space for artists in Saint-Paul de Vence, in the South of France. In 1956, Aimé Maeght visited the new atelier of Joan Mirò in Palma de Majorca and he was impressed by the beauty of the space and the functional aspect of the building, designed by architect Josep Lluis Sert.

FondationMaeght_2024_Fountain_gscinparis_10 — One of the fountains in the garden at the Maeght Foundation

The Fondation Maeght: The Architect

Josep Lluís Sert recieved his architectural training from the School of Architecture in Barcelona, Spain. He had a range of influences, from Antoni Guadí to the Bauhaus movement. He met and worked with Le Corbusier in the 1920’s. In 1953, he succeeded Walter Gropius as Dean of the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University.

The Fondation Maeght: The Architecture

Architect Josep Lluis Sert had designed a large and impressive studio for the Catalan surrealist artist Joan Mirò in the 1950’s. The sculpture-like architecture was a perfect fit for the large sculptures that Mirò created. Mr. Aimé Maeght, who was Miro’s gallerist and editor at the time, visited the atelier and was impressed enough to hire Sert to create the first private foundation for visual arts in all of Europe.

Sert created La Fondation hand in hand with the Maeghts, Miró and a number of artists, who gave life to some of its main features: the sculpture garden entrance; the Giacometti Court; buildings wrapped around patios; a bell tower for the chapel and a home studio.

Dramatic architecture at the Maeght Foundation

Sert created a modernist version of a Mediterranean village. The hallmarks of mid-century architecture are present through the use of indoor/outdoor spaces. Sert used indirect, natural lighting for the artwork. The layout of the buildings was meant to encourage contemplation.

The Maeght Foundation: The Art

One of the largest collections of modern art in Europe, the Fondation Maeght includes paintings, sculptures, drawings and graphic works by famous artists such as Pierre Bonnard, Georges Braque, Alexander Calder, Marc Chagall, Diego Giacometti, Wassily Kandinsky, Barbara Hepworth, Fernand Léger, Joan Miró, Pierre Tal Coat, Germaine Richier, and Raul Ubac. The collection also features more contemporary artists including Anna-Eva Bergman, Pier Paolo Calzolari, Eduardo Chillida, Christo, Marco Del Re, Gérard Garouste, Jörg Immendorff, Ellsworth Kelly, Wifredo Lam, Joan Mitchell, Takis and Antoni Tàpies.

FondationMaeght_2024_gscinparis_GalleryView_33 — One of the galleries at the Fondation Maeght

From the very beginning when it opened in 1964, the Fondation Maeght was quite avant-garde in it’s offerings of art exhibitions, dance performances, concerts and theater.

The Maeght Foundation: The Details

Mosaics were created by Georges Braque and Marc Chagall. The glass work was done by George Braque and Raoul Ubac. Furnishings in bronze, sconces, banquettes and door handles were created by Diego Giacometti in Paris.

FondationMaeght_2024_gscinparis_WindowDetails_13 — Building details at the Maeght Foundation

The Fondation Maeght: The Mirò Labryinth

With assistance from his ceramist friends, Josep LLorens Artigas and Joan Gardy Artigas, the artist Joan Mirò created a “labryinth” on the grounds of the site to display his enormous sculptures and blend with the architecture and nature.

Sculpture garden at the Fondation Maeght

The works were created specifically for the Fondation Maeght. Mirò used a variety of mediums, including ceramic, Carrara marble, iron, bronze and concrete.

FondationMaeght_2024_gscinparis_LabryintheMirò_25 — Map of the Mirò labyrinth

The Fondation Maeght: The Location

Located up on a hill in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, the sculpture garden and the architecture are set against a stunning backdrop with breathtaking views of the hills, the greenery and the bright blue ocean. From the center of Nice, the Fondation Maeght is about a 40 minute drive, depending on the time of day and the route you take. There are public transportation options, depending on where you are coming from. For example, you could take the train from Nice to Cagnes-Sur-Mer (about a 25 min train ride) and then take a bus up the hill to Saint-Paul-de-Vence. From the town, the Fondation is a pleasant walk.

Beautiful views from the gardens at the Fondation Maeght

Where to Stay

My favorite hotel in Nice, France is the iconic and historic Hotel Le Negresco. Here is my video review:

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