Sainte-Victoire

We’re off to Sainte Victoire.

The mountain dominates the scenery, its blue hue making the black pines in front of it look like a ghost. Is it the Master of Aix hovering over me like a shadow ? I put the thought behind me and get started.

The finished painting on its easel.

Detail

 

The finished painting

Mid-day. We go to Puyloubier for lunch in an adorable little café-restaurant in the heart of the village “Café Sainte Victoire”. We sit by a fountain on a little square surrounded by trees.
All is well ; the setting, the tranquility, the service and the delicious food – I fully recommend it ! I order a glass of local white wine. I’d like to go back to renew all these pleasures but also to paint this delightful place. I think Salomé only drank water. Over the meal I asked her if she liked to read. That’s how I learnt she loved Le Petit Prince . I tell her that for me it’s a literary work of art, and then I inform her that I’ll spend the afternoon sketching.

 

I always ask myself on getting back from Sainte Victoire if, had I known Cézanne, we could have become painting companions, like the Barbizon School of painters before us : Camille Corot, Charles-François Daubigny, Jean-François Millet and so many others. But I think Cézanne, like me, was a solitary bear so we couldn’t have gone far together.

I left Salomé in Aix, eager to go home and show my work to Christine and try to measure the degree of her admiration.

More creations to follow …