The Maeght Foundation or Fondation Maeght () is a museum of

modern art Modern art includes artistic work produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the styles and philosophies of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the tradit ...

on the ''Colline des Gardettes'', a hill overlooking Saint-Paul de Vence in the southeast of France about from

Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one millionAimé Maeght in 1964 and houses paintings, sculptures,

collages Collage (, from the , "to glue" or "to stick together") is a technique of art creation, primarily used in the visual arts, but in music too, by which art results from an assembly of different forms, thus creating a new whole. (Compare with pasti ...

, ceramics and all forms of

. Fraser, C. Gerald (7 Sep 1981)
Aimé Maeght Dies; Art Dealer Was 75
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''. The collection includes works by many important 20th-century artists including

Jean Arp Hans Peter Wilhelm Arp (; ; 16 September 1886 – 7 June 1966), better known as Jean Arp in English, was a German-French sculptor, painter and poet. He was known as a Dadaist and an abstract artist. Early life Arp was born Hans Peter Wilhelm Ar ...

Pierre Bonnard Pierre Bonnard (; 3 October 186723 January 1947) was a French painter, illustrator and printmaker, known especially for the stylized decorative qualities of his paintings and his bold use of color. A founding member of the Post-Impressionist gr ...

Georges Braque Georges Braque ( ; ; 13 May 1882 – 31 August 1963) was a major 20th-century List of French artists, French painter, Collage, collagist, Drawing, draughtsman, printmaker and sculptor. His most notable contributions were in his alliance with ...

Alexander Calder Alexander "Sandy" Calder (; July 22, 1898 – November 11, 1976) was an American sculptor known both for his innovative mobile (sculpture), mobiles (kinetic sculptures powered by motors or air currents) that embrace chance in their aesthetic, hi ...

Marc Chagall Marc Chagall (born Moishe Shagal; – 28 March 1985) was a Russian and French artist. An early modernism, modernist, he was associated with the School of Paris, École de Paris, as well as several major art movement, artistic styles and created ...

, Sam Francis,

Alberto Giacometti Alberto Giacometti (, , ; 10 October 1901 – 11 January 1966) was a Swiss sculptor, painter, Drafter, draftsman and Printmaking, printmaker, who was one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century. His work was particularly influenced ...

Wassily Kandinsky Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky ( – 13 December 1944) was a Russian painter and art theorist. Kandinsky is generally credited as one of the pioneers of abstract art, abstraction in western art. Born in Moscow, he spent his childhood in ...

Ellsworth Kelly Ellsworth Kelly (May 31, 1923 – December 27, 2015) was an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker associated with hard-edge painting, Color field painting and minimalism. His works demonstrate unassuming techniques emphasizing line, col ...

Fernand Léger Joseph Fernand Henri Léger (; February 4, 1881 – August 17, 1955) was a French painting, painter, sculpture, sculptor, and film director, filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of cubism (known as "tubism") which he gradually ...

, Anne Madden and

Joan Miró Joan Miró i Ferrà ( , ; ; 20 April 1893 – 25 December 1983) was a Catalan Spanish painter, sculptor and Ceramic art, ceramist. A museum dedicated to his work, the Fundació Joan Miró, was established in his native city of Barcelona ...

among others. The building was designed by the Spanish architect

Josep Lluís Sert Josep Lluís Sert i López (; 1 July 190215 March 1983) was a Catalan architect and city planner established in the USA after 1939. Biography Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, Sert showed keen interest in the works of his uncle, the painte ...

, houses more than 12,000 pieces of art and attracts "on average, 200,000 visitors ... every year". There is a small chapel dedicated to Saint Bernard, in memory of Bernard, the son of Aimé and Marguerite Maeght who died of leukemia, aged eleven. The foundation is entirely independently funded with no reliance on state subsidies. Adrien Maeght is the chairman of the foundation's administrative council, which also includes Isabelle Maeght and her sister Yoyo Maeght. As of 2024, the museum is home to 13,000 objects. It celebrated its 60th anniversary with a new expansion that was designed by Paris-based firm Silvio d’Ascia Architecture. The expansion adds over 5,000 square feet to the footprint and has been done without disturbing any of the original architecture by Josep Lluís Sert.

History

The Maeght Gallery

In December 1945, Aimé and Marguerite Maeght opened the Maeght Gallery in Paris, which quickly became a gathering place for artists, poets, and writers. Among them were painters like

Matisse Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual arts, visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a drawing, draughtsman, printmaking, printmaker, ...

, Bonnard, and

Braque Georges Braque ( ; ; 13 May 1882 – 31 August 1963) was a major 20th-century French painter, collagist, draughtsman, printmaker and sculptor. His most notable contributions were in his alliance with Fauvism from 1905, and the role he play ...

, who supported Aimé Maeght’s projects. The group expanded with the addition of artists such as

, Bram and Geer Van Velde, and later, between 1946 and 1951, with

, Raoul Ubac,

, and Wassily Kandinsky, who exhibited at the Maeght Gallery for the first time. In 1947, this visionary couple organized the first surrealist exhibition centered on

André Breton André Robert Breton (; ; 19 February 1896 – 28 September 1966) was a French writer and poet, the co-founder, leader, and principal theorist of surrealism. His writings include the first ''Surrealist Manifesto'' (''Manifeste du surréalisme'') ...

and

Marcel Duchamp Henri-Robert-Marcel Duchamp (, ; ; 28 July 1887 – 2 October 1968) was a French painter, sculptor, chess player, and writer whose work is associated with Cubism, Dada, Futurism and conceptual art. He is commonly regarded, along with Pablo Pica ...

The Creation of the Maeght Foundation

, supported by

André Malraux Georges André Malraux ( ; ; 3 November 1901 – 23 November 1976) was a French novelist, art theorist, and minister of cultural affairs. Malraux's novel ''La Condition Humaine'' (''Man's Fate'') (1933) won the Prix Goncourt. He was appointed ...

—then Minister of Cultural Affairs—suggested that Marguerite and Aimé Maeght embark on an ambitious project: the creation of a new type of cultural space in the

south of France Southern France, also known as the south of France or colloquially in French as , is a geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi atlantique'', Atlas e ...

, in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, where the Maeghts already owned a home Following Braque’s advice, the Maeghts traveled to the United States in 1955 to visit American foundations such as the Barnes Foundation, the Phillips Collection, and the Guggenheim Museum. Inspired by these models, the Maeght Foundation opened its doors on July 28, 1964, in Saint-Paul-de-Vence. It was inaugurated by André Malraux, who declared, “Here, an attempt is being made to do something that has never been attempted before: to create a universe in which modern art can find both its place and that background once called the supernatural.”. The foundation was entirely funded by Aimé and Marguerite Maeght, ensuring its financial independence and enabling it to freely choose its program and exhibitions. The board of directors currently consists of 11 members, including three representatives from the supervisory ministries. The director is responsible for administration, conservation of the works, and exhibitions. Recognized as a public utility, the foundation is authorized to receive donations, bequests, and sponsorships, allowing it to preserve and expand its collection, maintain its architectural heritage, and develop cultural activities.

Collections

The Maeght Foundation holds one of the largest collections of modern and contemporary paintings, sculptures, drawings, and graphic works in Europe, with over 13,000 items. The foundation’s collection includes over 1,000 paintings and sculptures, 600 drawings, 6,000 prints, and more than 30,000 books. It is composed of works from Aimé and Marguerite Maeght’s personal collection, along with commissions and purchases from artists. The collection aims to be diverse, bringing together multiple generations of artists. Alberto Giacometti is one of the most prominently featured artists at the foundation. The collection includes 35 sculptures, 25 drawings, and 60 prints and lithographs, including rare bronzes from the 1930s like The Cube, The Invisible Object, and The Fountain. The Maeght Foundation notably owns both versions of Walking Man and both versions of Standing Woman. The collection also encompasses a substantial portion of Joan Miró’s work, with eight paintings, 140 sculptures, 75 drawings, around 100 collages and models, and over a thousand lithographs and engravings.

Exhibitions

Since its opening in 1964, the Maeght Foundation has organized over 140 thematic, monographic, and contemporary artist exhibitions, including: * Thematic exhibitions: Living Art in the United States, Art in Motion, The Nude in the 20th Century, Russia and the Avant-Gardes, The Adventures of Truth, At the Heart of Abstraction. * Monographic exhibitions: Kandinsky,

Chagall Marc Chagall (born Moishe Shagal; – 28 March 1985) was a Russian and French artist. An early modernism, modernist, he was associated with the School of Paris, École de Paris, as well as several major art movement, artistic styles and created ...

, de Staël, Bonnard, Giacometti, Miró,

, Dubuffet. * Contemporary artist exhibitions: Yan Pei-Ming, Pier Paolo Calzolari,

Takis Takis may refer to: * Takis (snack), a spicy, roll-shaped snack * Takis Christoforidis, a Greek actor * Takis Fotopoulos, a Greek political philosopher * Takis Ikonomopoulos, a Greek football player * Takis Kanellopoulos a Greek film director * Tak ...

, Jacques Monory,

Gérard Garouste Gérard Garouste (born 10 March 1946) is a French Contemporary art, contemporary artist having the primary field of work as visual and performative domain. Since 1979, he has lived and worked in Marcilly-sur-Eure in Normandy, where he founded an ...

, Christo et Jeanne-Claude, Eduardo Arroyo, Lee Bae, Bernard Moninot. The Foundation has also hosted exhibitions dedicated to writers, their role in art, and the painters they supported. Examples include shows for Pierre Reverdy in 1970, René Char in 1971, and

in 1973. The Foundation also organizes exhibitions abroad in museums or private foundations in cities such as

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

Granada Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

, and

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

Architecture

Building Layout

The building housing the foundation’s collections was designed by Catalan architect Josep Lluís Sert, recommended by Joan Miró. The initial idea was to create an artists’ village, not a museum. Sert based his design on that of a Mediterranean village, with everything organized around a central point: the chapel. Each building serves a unique function, such as the library, café, bookstore, office, exhibition halls, and engraving and ceramics workshops—much like a village. The building’s rhythm is set by white claustra walls and glass facades, inviting visitors to view the woods, sea, patio, or the pool decorated by Braque. Sert retained the natural slope of the land, arranging exhibition rooms, patios, and gardens on various terrace levels, which gives the building its distinctive character. The chapel, dedicated to Saint Bernard, is a consecrated space housing a 12th-century Spanish Christ figure gifted by Cristóbal Balenciaga, as well as a slate-carved

Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Via Dolorosa, Way of Sorrows or the , are a series of fourteen images depicting Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and acc ...

by Raoul Ubac. Ubac also created the stained glass The Cross and the Rosary, while White Bird was created by Georges Braque. An exhibition on architect Josep Lluís Sert was held in 2014 to celebrate the foundation’s 50th anniversary.

An HQE Building

The Maeght Foundation is the first building to achieve HQE (High Environmental Quality) certification. Sert designed a space where light, natural ventilation, airflow, water, and plant shading were essential components, making it a pioneer of sustainable architecture. The issue of exhibition hall lighting was addressed by using semi-vaulted roofs, actual “light traps” that capture and diffuse sunlight through glass panels. Sert aimed for indirect natural light to preserve the artworks. This natural light connects the interior with the outside surroundings. To the dismay of some architectural advocates, several openings envisioned by Sert, including skylights, had to be closed off to better protect the artwork inside. The foundation’s two large white

impluvium The ''impluvium'' (: ''impluvia'') is a water-catchment pool system meant to capture rain-water flowing from the ''compluvium'', an area of roof. Often placed in a courtyard, under an opening in the roof, and thus "inside", instead of "outside ...

are iconic. They serve dual purposes: collecting rainwater to fill pools and providing coolness to the exhibition rooms through the shade they cast. In 2008, Italian architect Silvio d’Ascia led restoration and expansion efforts.

The Artists' Contribution

Painters and sculptors collaborated with Josep Lluís Sert on the architecture by creating works integrated into the building and nature: the Giacometti courtyard, the Miró Labyrinth filled with sculptures and ceramics, wall mosaics by Marc Chagall and Pierre Tal Coat, the pool and mosaic by Braque, the chapel's stained glass window based on the Birds theme created by Georges Braque for the ceiling of the Louvre museum, and

Pol Bury Pol Bury (26 April 1922 – 28 September 2005) was a Belgians, Belgian sculptor who began his artistic career as a painter in the Jeune Peintre Belge and COBRA (avant-garde movement), COBRA groups. Among his most famous works is the fountain-scul ...

's animated fountain.« Stones for the Spirit »

Time magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps as ''TIME'') is an American news magazine based in New York City. It was published weekly for nearly a century. Starting in March 2020, it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York Cit ...

, . The building has been labeled as “20th Century Heritage” by the Ministry of Culture.

Joan Miró

Each year, Joan Miró spent several months in Saint-Paul with the Maeghts, where he worked in the engraving and ceramics studios. As a token of gratitude, he donated several hundred works to the foundation. In 1979, the foundation celebrated the artist’s 85th birthday, unveiling a monumental stained glass window designed by Miró for the foundation.

=Miró's Labyrinth

= Aimé Maeght invited

to use the foundation's gardens. Alongside his childhood friend from Barcelona, Josep Llorens Artigas, Miró reinvented monumental sculpture, blending it with nature and architecture. For the Labyrinth, he created a dreamlike world populated by fantastic animals. The Catalan artist explored various materials, mainly using ceramics: the Lizard climbs the patio wall, the Wall consists of 468 ceramic panels, The Sundial sculpture, and his most significant piece, The Goddess of Fertility. The main building’s brick wall supports The Personage, a brown ceramic face perched atop a tall iron rod. The Tower is crowned by an iron bird, The Solar Bird and The Lunar Bird are made of Carrara marble, and The Fork, crafted from iron and bronze, echoes the symbol of the raised fist of Spanish peasants during the civil war. The Great Arch, made of concrete, features Miró’s recurring signs engraved with a jackhammer. In the center of a pool stands The Woman with Disheveled Hair in white marble, and another pool hosts three of the artist's gargoyles. One can also see Ariadne’s Thread, a white line painted by Miró on low walls, guiding visitors through their walk.

Alberto and Diego Giacometti

The Giacometti courtyard lies at the bottom of the main building with its pagoda roofs. This courtyard hosted the Foundation’s Nights as well as concerts and large events. All decorative elements of the foundation, such as benches, doors, lamps, and streetlights, were designed by

and Diego Giacometti. The entire café’s furniture, called Café Diego, is a special creation by Diego for the foundation. He designed the shelves, counters, lamps, chairs, and tables in bronze and wrought iron.

Georges Braque

created the south stained glass window of the Saint-Bernard chapel in 1962, where his white bird embodies the sacred. He also designed a mosaic pool depicting fish.

Raoul Ubac

Raoul Ubac created the north stained glass window of the Saint-Bernard chapel as well as the fourteen Stations of the Cross in sculpted slate in 1961. Also, on one of the exterior walls of the foundation, is the artist's largest wall sculpture.

Marc Chagall

specifically created for the foundation a wall mosaic titled 'The Lovers' or 'Welcome.' It depicts the Maeght couple welcoming visitors. He also signed The Life, a painting that summarizes his own life up to that point."

A multicultural structure

The Nuits de la fondation

The Maeght Foundation does not see itself as a museum, but as a large workshop where all the living arts can come together. The Nuits de la fondation Maeght took place every summer from 1965 to 1970. Here, the public could discover pioneering experimental music artists such as

Terry Riley Terrence Mitchell Riley (born June 24, 1935) is an American composer and performing musician best known as a pioneer of the minimalist music, minimalist school of composition. Influenced by jazz and Indian classical music, his work became notab ...

Pierre Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 19255 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war contemporary classical music. Born in Montb ...

and

Cecil Taylor Cecil Percival Taylor (March 25, 1929April 5, 2018) was an American pianist and poet. Taylor was classically trained and was one of the pioneers of free jazz. His music is characterized by an energetic, physical approach, resulting in comple ...

. The foundation also played host to contemporary music, dance and avant-garde theatre.

The library

The Maeght Foundation has had a public library since 1972. It contains around 10,000 volumes on art, complete collections of the main art magazines and catalogues of the world's leading museums. It is open by appointment to researchers and students.

The cinema

The foundation included an art cinema that ran every day in the summer and three days a week during the rest of the year. Around fifty films about the artists, most of them produced by Maeght, were shown there on an alternating basis.

References

External links

* http://www.fondation-maeght.com {{authority control Art museums and galleries in France Museums in Alpes-Maritimes Modern art museums Art museums and galleries established in 1964 1964 establishments in France Joan Miró Maeght