If you love modern and contemporary art, Saint-Paul-de-Vence is one of the best art destinations on the French Riviera.

Once upon a time… I needed a vacation and returned to a place I love. Côte d'Azur. Say those words and most people think of pebbly beaches, yachts galore and the glitz and the glamour. And they are mostly right.

But, for me, there is another side to this famous region, art. Specifically, a little village called Saint-Paul-de-Vence, perched on a hill above Nice and Cagnes-sur-Mer. Years ago, Chagall, Braque, and Miró used to come here, their visits still evidenced by the many drawings gracing the walls of La Colombe d’Or, whose owner once had the good sense to barter food and lodging for works of art.

Art took root here and never quite left. Today, there is not one but several excellent galleries here, making the village a worthy destination for any art lover. I make a point of coming here every time I am in the neighborhood. This late summer, there is once again plenty to see: Jean Prouvé at Fondation CAB, Ellsworth Kelly at Fondation Maeght, and an interesting contemporary show at Galerie Catherine Issert, which has been championing artists here for fifty years. Each one earns the climb.

Fondation CAB: Prouvé, and two Americans in conversation

Some may know Fondation CAB from its Brussels home. Its location in Saint-Paul-de-Vence was a new find for me and one that I am now putting on my permanent must-see list. It sits in a 1950s building that Charles Zana renovated in 2021, surrounded by a garden with views toward Cap d'Antibes and filled with modern sculptures by the likes of Bernard Venet. There is a restaurant, a bookshop, a few guest rooms, and even a dismantlable Jean Prouvé house on the grounds. This summer, the ground floor is showing "Jean Prouvé, Inventeur de Maisons", staged with Laffanour | Galerie Downtown. The show looks at Prouvé not just as a designer, but as someone rethinking how we build and inhabit space. It covers his ambition to industrialize construction, references to his prefabricated Coque and Métropole houses in Meudon, and the furniture that people covet now: the Cité bed, the Compas table, the Standard chair, the Antony armchair, the Marcoule bench. Seeing these pieces inside a modernist building is also fitting.

Upstairs there is a brighter, colorful vibe. "Abstract Constructions" brings together Nassos Daphnis and Rita McBride. Daphnis, a Greek-American painter, worked in flat planes of color across several decades, from the 1950s into the 1990s. McBride, American and a generation younger, makes sculptures, installations, and architectural models. It’s an interesting pairing, showing how geometry, color, and industrial materials can speak to one another. I personally loved it and found myself returning to the gallery several times, both before and after a wonderful lunch à la française at its charming little café.

Fondation Maeght: an American season, anchored by Ellsworth Kelly

From CAB, it was just a short walk further uphill to one of my longtime favorites, Fondation Maeght. It is the reason why so many people come to Saint-Paul-de-Vence in the first place. Aimé and Marguerite Maeght built it out of friendship with the artists of their time, and it opened in 1964 as a museum set into the landscape, with Giacometti, Miró, Calder, and Braque woven through the architecture and gardens. I could literally sit in the garden forever, enjoying the intoxicating summery scent of pine trees, feeling the light breeze and taking in all the beauty around me. In fact, I did just that this time as well. That is what summer bliss feels like to me. A little balm for the soul.

The foundation’s permanent collection is good enough on its own, but this summer, it stepped up its game with "Ellsworth Kelly: At the Edge of the Water," curated by Éric de Chassey, a leading Kelly specialist, in close collaboration with the Ellsworth Kelly Studio. The show follows an interesting thread: the presence of water in Kelly’s work and life. Kelly's connection to this place runs deep. He took part in the Allied landings in 1944, returned to France on the G.I. Bill in 1948, showed early at Galerie Maeght in Paris, and became a lifelong friend of Adrien Maeght, spending time at the family home here. The show is definitely worth a visit.

A smaller but fun show tucked into one corner of the museum is also a gem for fashion lovers: "Peter Knapp: The Era of Courrèges." It offers a snapshot of the graphic and photographic world the Swiss-French art director built around the Courrèges house. Small but lovely.

Galerie Catherine Issert: fifty years of backing artists

Down the road and just outside the old village ramparts, Galerie Catherine Issert offers the human-scale counterpoint to the two foundations. The gallery, which opened in 1975, has built its identity on loyalty to its artists and on close ties with the Villa Arson in Nice (that’s something I saved for my next trip!). Right now (and only for a few more days!) it is showing Jean-Charles Blais with "20 6 26," his paintings of figures on torn poster paper and other found supports. Though they are more abstract than what I usually gravitate toward, somehow they spoke to me. And you might enjoy them, too.

So, make a day of it

All three galleries sit within a short walk from one another. If you’re tired of walking, there is a (somewhat sporadic) shuttle running between Maeght and the village. If you’re craving more art at La Colombe, do yourself a favor and book ahead. Though I remember them, the days of simply walking in without a reservation are sadly long gone. The foundations are open daily; Galerie Catherine Issert is open Tuesday to Saturday, roughly 11 to 1 and 2 to 7, so time that stop with care. And most importantly, enjoy yourself.