2006, Cézanne's year in Gardanne

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Gardanne is associated with the centenary of Paul Cézanne’s death. Throughout the year, some exhibitions and conferences will be dedicated to the man who lived in the mining town for fifteen months in 1885 - 1886.

Read Cezanne’s site

Gardanne, the only village painted by Cézanne

This booklet of 20 pages, with a preface by Denis Coutagne, Manager of the “Musée Granet” in Aix-en Provence, recounts the painter’s genealogy, his years in Gardanne (1885 - 1886), Gardanne at the time of Cézanne and the painter’s sites in the town. The work, which was realized under the leadership of Lucienne Nadolski with a co-operative of Gardanne, has been granted the seal of approval by the “Mission Cézanne 2006”.

Download the booklet, format PDF (9.5 Mo)


Eleven paintings are exhibited in the streets.

Since January 19th, the painter’s date of birth (1839) until the end of September, eleven paintings by Cézanne have been exhibited in open-air. These are reproductions on large-format canvases (about 2.50 m x 1.80 m) which are displayed on the main street, “le cours”, on the façades of both the town hall and the media library and in Biver (annexe of the town hall, Cézanne and Mistral schools)

> See the portfolio dedicated to Cézanne.


Programme of activities

From 9 to 30 March at the media library, an exhibition entitled “sensations of nature with Cézanne” presented by the association Artesens. It offers the visitors a sensorial play path around 15 paintings by Paul Cézanne.

- 8 April, inauguration of Cézanne’s sites by the “Mission Cézanne”. At 11:00, inauguration of the “cabanon du Claou”, the country cottage which was bought and restored by the town of Gardanne.

- 7, 8, and 9 April, at the secondary school Gabriel-Péri, exhibition of about a hundred paintings produced by pupils, amateur painters and professionals on the theme “Cezanne then and now”. Private viewing on April 7th, at 18:00.

21 July

A great open air day is dedicated to the painter and organized on the square Cézanne, in the old town.
> Recital of extracts of operas with a musical composition, interpreted by four choristers accompanied by the pianist of the “Opéra de Marseille”.
> The company César Choisi presents Cigalon by Marcel Pagnol.
> A workshop of artistic creation aimed at the general public is held.
> An overhead projection dresses the façade of 27, cours Forbin, where Cézanne used to live.

Some more specific information about this day will be given before next summer.

Different initiatives during the year


- Guided tours of sites associated with Cézanne run by the Tourist Information Centre, for schoolchildren from January and for other groups starting from June with the setting up of minibus tours.

Free guided tours on a fifteen- seat minibus

For individuals, registrations beforehand
1) From 1st June to 30th September : on Tuesday - Thursday - Saturday at 15:00
Meeting point at the media library on Boulevard Paul Cézanne
2) From 4th to 28th October : on Wednesday and Saturday at 15:00
Meeting point at the media library, boulevard Paul Cézanne.

These tours with a bilingual commentary (French and English) give art lovers the possibility of discovering Cézanne’s house on the “Cours Forbin”, the open-air museum on the hill “La colline des Frères”, the hamlet of Payannet, the country cottage “le cabanon du Claou” and the district of Ribas. The sites will be marked by plaques with reproductions of Cézanne’s paintings. At the media library, a projection of a film recounting Cézanne’s period in Gardanne will precede the visits.

Guided tours with 3 € charge for admission
For coach parties
From 1st June to 30th September by appointment only : on Wednesdays or Fridays at 15:00

One-hour tour without a guide
Route and instructions must be collected from the Tourist Information Centre.

For children attending school
Get in touch with the Tourist Information Centre

 Tourist Information Centre.

- Signposting of Cézanne’s sites

- Creation of a fresco about Cézanne by pupils from the “LEP de l’Etoile”

- Poster contest in several schools in the town with exhibition of the works

- Cézanne in Gardanne educational collection which was realized by the National Education and the town of Gardanne

- Exhibition of old postcards at the media library

- Creation and issue of postal logo representing the painting of the foundation Barnes “Gardanne, one of Cézanne’s sites”.


Cézanne on the web

A selection of sites presenting the works of the painter from Aix-en-Provence, as well as biographical elements

Cézanne 2006
The official site of the centenary of the painter’s death. Events are posted here along with a selection of his main paintings and some biographical details.

Cézanne’s studio in Aix-en-Provence
Built in 1901-1902 in “chemin des Lauves”, Cézanne’s studio has been preserved as it was, with its huge glass wall on the northern side, tools and still live tableaux. A virtual tour is offered on the site.

The painter’s work in pictures
The site insecula.com presents 118 paintings by Cézanne with the possibility of making enlargements and links with other artists or other works of art.

Webmuseum
Well informed site in English which allows substantial enlargements of a selection of works of art.