The Red Door

I wonder how many museums in the world have a red door?  The Musee Reattu in Arles is exceptional in more ways than one.  It is located in a unique 15th century building that used to be a priory, later bought by the artist Jacques Reattu to house his own works.  Its architecture is quite remarkable and the structure is a historical monument.   It is also the first museum in France to exhibit photos.  

The Museum has two Picasso paintings and many of his sketches.  Below you see his painting of his mother Olga and also a photo of him and the woman who looked like one of his muses.    

The Museum backs onto the banks of the Rhone

Stunning in Stone

It must feel good to be perched on top of the world!  This confident little fella was standing on the 700 year old stone roof of the cloisters of St. Trophime in Arles.  Consider the weight of the stone!

St. Trophime - Church and Cloisters

Here is the 12th century romanesque gallery - you can see the beautiful blue stained glass window at the end.  

Close up of the blue window

An interesting feature of the cloisters is that all four galleries are different architecturally, with the style evolving as the galleries were built in different eras.  The south gallery (below), built in the late 14th century, is distinctly gothic while the ones built in the 13th century are romanesque with some gothic features.  And if I weren't so busy taking photos, I would be looking at the fine details of the columns, each depicting a different biblical tale.

In stark contrast to the cloisters, is the Roman arena - clearly built for the beasts!   

It had been around since 1 BC but had also evolved as the world around it changed.  With the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century, it became a fortress and the town was built inside the arena.  It remained so until the 18th century when it became a national monument.  And now there are bullfights and concerts.

Under the arcades

View of the city and the river from the top arcade

      Next post:  The Red Door

A different kind of quail - Arles

It turns out that quails are a regional specialty in this part of Provence, hence multiple handpainted renditions in this shop in Arles. I have never seen so many quails in my life! 

Arles is also a different kind of city from Avignon or Aix-en-Provence.  While Avignon and Aix are genteel, classy, "safe", I found Arles has a very different flavour, one that grew on me after the initial unease and as I got more comfortable with the narrow alleys and slightly dilapidated buildings.  It is colourful with a different timbre.   Maybe this was why Van Gogh liked to hang out here.  This is the cafe that he painted in The Cafe Terrace and below that, you see the hospital courtyard which he painted.  He was admitted to this hospital after he cut off part of his ear.

Artists continue to hang out.  Here is one attempting to render the gorgeous portal of the romanesque Church of the St. Trophime Cloisters (more on this in the next post).

Then there are those who coordinated their washings

and their dinner backdrops...

Streets of colour

I would have problems deciding too!

A different kind of L'Arlesienne...

See the one Van Gogh painted at:
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/51.112.3

And a Happy July 4th to my American family and friends!