A Walk in Aix-en-Provence: In the Steps of Cezanne

By Judi Janofsky & Rich Steck
“When I was in Aix, I thought I would be better off elsewhere. I miss Aix. When you’re born there, that’s it. Nothing else appeals.”
- Letter by Paul Cezanne to Philippe Solari, July 23, 1896.

Inspired by deep blue skies, bright red poppies and quaint honey-hued villages, Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists flocked to Provence eager to capture its intense light on the bucolic scenes of this beautiful region. Van Gogh, Renoir, Monet. They all traveled south from Paris to paint coastlines, villages, mountains and vineyards.

All but Paul Cezanne. For him, all of this beauty was literally in his own backyard. Born in Aix-en-Provence, Cezanne had only to walk out of his home to capture tree-lined avenues, ochre-colored houses and the mountain that loomed over the town and surrounding countryside. Mont Ste. Victoire was such a draw for Cezanne that over the years he painted and sketched it 88 times.

Today Aix pays tribute to its native son with a tour that allows visitors to follow “In the Steps of Cezanne.” From mid-May to mid-October, you can take a guided tour (8 Euros) on Thursday mornings starting from the Tourist Office. Or you can do it on your own.

Jas de Bouffan
“A work of art which did not begin in emotion is not art.”
- Paul Cezanne.

Cezanne’s home in Aix-en-Provence

Our recent tour started in Jas de Bouffan, the house where Cezanne lived for a number of years. The red-roofed house and lush grounds set back from the street is as picturesque now as it was when he lived there more than a century ago. Walking through the house and grounds is like stepping into some of Cezanne’s paintings. Between 1866 and 1895, Cezanne painted 36 oils and 17 watercolors of the house, farm, groves, chestnut-tree lined paths, the ponds and its statues.

The Bibemus Quarries
“I have to know the geology. The geological colors.”
- Paul Cezanne on the Bibemus Quarries.

Eleven million years ago, Aix-en-Provence was under water. The area where the Bibemus Quarries now stand was the beach. Over the millions of years that followed, the sand was transformed into calcified stone ranging in colors from grey white to deep ochre. The Romans were the first to extract the stone and for almost 2,000 years the quarries’ limestone was used to build homes and churches. The quarries were abandoned at the end of the 18th century and what was left is a maze of arches and valleys. Deep within the quarry the walls of warm-colored rock are marked with long rectangular striations – evidence of blocks of rock being extracted by picks. Cezanne found the angular stones inspirational as he moved toward cubism, creating 27 paintings within the quarry and beyond to his beloved Mont Ste. Victoire.

The Studio
“Little Marie has cleaned my studio which is now finished and I am settling down there little by little…”
- In a letter by Cezanne written to his niece Paule Conil.

Of all the places to track Cezanne, it’s in his atelier (studio) that you’ll find him. Hanging on hooks, sitting on tables and propped against walls are many of the objects he used in his still lives. A glimpse of just a few invokes many of his paintings. Scattered across the room are his tools of the trade – brushes, easel and flasks. At the end of one long wall is a tall narrow door through which Cezanne slid his oversized canvases so he could work outdoors. Dozens of works, many his masterpieces, including his last “Large Bathers,” were painted here. After his death in 1906, the studio was bought by Marcel Provence who lived there until his death in 1951. To save the studio, 114 American donors rescued it by buying the property and giving it to the Universite d’Aix-Marseille.

The Details
Jas du Bouffan, Route de Galice, 5.50 euros or a three-site pass for 12 euros. One-hour tours in English and French on Wednesday and Saturday at 10:00 am. Advance reservations at the Tourism Office is a must.

Bibemus Quarries, 3090 Chemin de Bibemus. 5.50 euros or a three-site pass for 12 euros. One and one-half hour tours in English and French on Wednesday and Saturday at 3:00 pm. Advance reservations at the Tourism Office is a must.

Cezanne’s Studio, 9 avenue Paul Cezanne. 5.50 euros or a three-site pass for 12 euros. Half hour tours in English and French throughout the day. Advance reservations at the Tourism Office is a must. www.atelier-cezanne.com

Tourism Office, 2 place du General de Gaulle. www.aixenprovencetourism.com

www.wheretogonext.com