Page 21 - Flipbook

WELL LIT: (left) The Cannes harbour at sunset, displaying the beautiful light that inspired Picasso toward the end of his life. (right) The view from the Côte d’Azur where the artist spent countless hours transfixed by the light in his later years.
French Riviera Twilight Years
The lure of the sea called Picasso back to the Mediterranean in his later years, when he became a family man with then girlfriend Françoise Gilot. They had two children, Claude and Paloma, in the late 1940s and lived in the hills only a few kilometres from the shore.
Known for its soft, malleable earth along the Azure Coast, the French Riviera is, artistically speaking a haven for potters and ceramists, thanks to the endless supply of material underfoot. Picasso lived in the hamlet of Vallauris, where he expanded his work to include dishware and continued his study of the female form by bending wine jugs into various shapes of curvaceous women. He also created one of his only public works for the township—Man With a Sheep (1943), which proudly sits in the Place de l’Eglise.
Although ceramics dominated Picasso’s creative output toward the end of his life, his favored artistic weapon remained the paintbrush and he spent countless hours along the sea, transfixed by the Côte d’Azur’s ethereal light. He lived for many years in Cannes at Villa la Californie with his last wife, Jacqueline Roque, where he’d paint from the window.
In Picasso’s final decade (he lived to 91), he and his wife retreated to a more private villa in nearby Mougins. He began painting bullrings and elaborate toreadors, visiting the Roman fighting ring in the medieval town of Arles (more famously associated with Van Gogh). Scholars believe, however, that he was depicting his beloved arena in Málaga, which he had left behind so many years before.
STAY
RCI AFFILIATED RESORTS IN MÁLAGA INCLUDE:
CrownResortsatClubMarbella2404
A family friendly retreat between Fuengirola and Marbella. Urbanización Sitio de Calahonda, Calle Monte Paraíso, Málaga
MEMBER REVIEW: “If you are looking for a clean, conveniently located home base from which to take day trips and explore, this is a great choice.”
CrownResortsatClubCaronte2965 Apartments along the Costa del Sol. Urbanización Riviera del Sol, Calle Libra, Málaga MEMBER REVIEW: “This resort is exactly what
you want if you are looking to savour the flavour of Spain.”
CrownResortsatClubCalahonda 1878
A family resort with easy access to Cabopino Beach. Urbanización Sitio de Calahonda, Pueblo Jarales, Málaga
MEMBER REVIEW: “The staff were extremely helpful and we were given apartments overlooking
the pool.”
TheGrangefieldOasisClub 3833 Channeling a Spanish village, this tranquil hideaway is close to Riviera del Sol’s bars, shops and beaches. Urbanización Riviera del Sol, Calle Topacio, Málaga
MEMBER REVIEW: “Good activities, friendly and warm staff.”
ENDLESS VACATION 19