Ceret - Museum of Modern Art, La Coupole

This morning we visited the Musee d'Art Moderne which is just down the main street from us. The permanent collection is predominantly paintings done of Ceret by artists who visited or lived here. It is quite a collection as Picasso spent a number of years here and encouraged other artists to join him. It is very interesting seeing the town depicted in so many different styles, but still recognizable as it doesn't look so different today ( you just have to imagine it without cars or electrical lines).

By Jean Marchand who was here in 1912.

By Andre Masson who was here in 1919 and 1920.

The town's not always recognizable. By Auguste Herbin, here in 1914. 

By Max Jacob. Here in 1910.

The first few rooms are filled with paintings by artists here around 1910 to 1920. The following couple of rooms are by artists who were here in the 1940's. Then of course there is Picasso, Ceret's most famous artist who lived here in 1911, 1912, 1913 and again in 1953. He along with Matisse worked with a curator to get the museum started. Many of the paintings were donated by his artist contemporaries and he himself donated paintings, ceramics and sketches.

Picasso learned about glazing pottery here and then broke all the rules to create this
series of bullfighting motifs painted in bowls, that he then donated to the museum.

The bowls are each unique, depicting different aspects of the bullfight including the parade into the ring,
the fight itself and the dragging out of the dead bull. He played with shade across the ring
and in the stands, depiction of the audience but the main subject matter, horses, bulls
and toreadors are always recognizable.

He did a series of sketches all entitled "le peintre et son modele" but unfortunately they
are framed with glass so my photos have reflections in them.

He left no doubt that they were for the museum, indicating so at the bottom of each sketch.

The rooms upstairs are for temporary exhibitions and modern art.

Some still of Ceret. If you walk up this street you come into the square we are staying in.

A magnificent, wall size, painting of Canigou byVincent Bioules who was here 2005, 2006.

A close up. This may inspire a mountain rug!

"Les ponts de Ceret" by Vincent Bioules. Later this afternoon I walked down to these bridges
but this post is getting too long so those pictures will have to wait for another day.

Some of the displays were not to my taste but still interesting.

From the gallery we walked about a block to the restaurant we had decided to go for lunch. Being here for this length of time gives us the opportunity to try some of the restaurants, bars and bistros. The top ranked restaurant on Trip Advisor is Atelier de Fred. We looked at it but it seemed rather expensive so we started across the street at Le Coupole.

On this cold, February day we were the only customers for lunch. The owner put on the lights and heat in the restaurant (rather than bar) section and apologised that the meal would take a while as the oven had to heat up and he was making the meal from scratch. Really no hardship for us.

 

First course was "Salade Catalane" with a lovely homemade dressing, local ham in a rose in the centre
and chorizo sausage slices. Delicious.

Dad had steak and Mum and I had fish. Our fish was steamed in packages with wine and herbs. Fresh vegetables and little rounds of scalloped potatoes finished off that plate. For dessert; cheese (some cold, some heated on little toasts) and fruit (apple, pear, pomegranate). This was the 14 Euro (about $20) Menu of the Day. Mum and Dad had wine, we all had coffee and the final bill was 60 Euro, including tip. We felt we got good value.
We waddled home discussing the possibility of a nap and that we didn't need supper.