Villa Le Reve
Vence, France

Villa Le Reve is the home where Henri Matisse lived and worked from 1943 to 1949. Matisse went to this home in the peaceful village of Vence, high above the ocean in Nice to recover from a painful and life threatening surgery he had, had on his stomach. It’s in this garden home where Matisse developed the infamous cutouts which defined his briliance and legacy towards the end of his life. Because of his ailment, he was often wheelchair and bed bound and therefore was unable to stand and paint. It’s here that he developed the idea of tying a charcoal to a long stick and drawing on the walls of his bedroom and floor, from his bed. When he was able to get up and sit in a wheelchair, he hired an assistant to paint large swatches of brilliant colors on papers and then with his giagantic scissors, he would cut out shapes that he would then collage into magical imagery. Matisse is probably best known for this period of time when he transformed the world of art with his vivid, collaged cutouts. Upon his healing, Matisse showed his gratitude to the local nunnery who helped to feed and maintain his home during his illness, by designing a beautiful jewel box of worship, Chapelle du Rosaire, around the corner from the Villa.

The Villa Le Reve is now owned by the municipal of Vence, and they have converted the property to an arts enclave where professionals can sit in residency and educate as well as focus on their own work. As a part of my residency, I taught a small group of 6 students of various levels of artmaking ability. Days were spent observing the natural surroundings and creating artworks, visiting local museums such as the Chagall, Renoir Home, and Matisse Museums, as well as galleries on the Cote d’ Azur. Evenings for critiques, discussions, and dinners. My studio work was mostly developed after the intial residency as my focus was often the students.

*Images of the Villa, Vence, studios, Matisse Chapel and at work, and student works…