Cover Photo Courtesy of Assouline

“Provence has a treasure; it’s a Colombe d’Or. It has the precious scent of thyme and nostalgia and the golden color of olive oil and happy days. The Colombe is a part of my life. For me, it’s a place that’s as full of promise as of magnificent memories. The Colombe is indefinable, inimitable. I’m happy that today a book brings back the atmosphere of this place which is like no other in the world,” said French artist César in his preface for this release. Indeed, somewhere in the South of France, world-renowned La Colombe d’Or hotel and restaurant brings together Provençal art de vivre and a stunning private collection of modern art. It all started in 1920, when the place was first opened as Chez Robinson café. It didn’t take too long for this charming place and its astonishing open-air terrace to become very popular and expand into what it is today.

Thanks to owner Paul Roux’s passion for arts, the walls quickly became a display of paintings that were often exchanged for a stay or a few meals. This actually comes as no surprise, taking into consideration that Matisse, Braque, César, Calder, Léger and many other artists were regular visitors leaving magnificent works in this wonderful place. With such an impressive history, this book truly reflects the charm of this treasure in the South of France, in which this unique art collection continues to grow until today with the next generation of the Roux family taking care of the legendary Colombe d’Or.

Article Written by Mirella Haddad