How This Provençal Hotel’s Art Collection Came To Include The Works Of Calder, Chagall, Matisse & Picasso

The quaint village of Saint Paul de Vence on the French Riviera is home to a legendary art-filled hotel and restaurant, La Colombe d’Or, which boasts a rich history spanning nearly a century. Following his return from fighting in the First World War, in 1920, local farmer Paul Roux opened up a café-bar, Chez Robinson, with an open air-terrace where people would come to dance at the weekends. Nestled between Nice and the Alpes Martime in the south of France, the establishment soon attracted regular patrons from the neighbourhood, which gave Roux the motivation with the support of his wife Titine, to extend and reopen as the Colombe d’Or, a cosy three-room inn. Around this time, many modernist artists and writers escaped Paris during the war and several found sanctuary in Roux’s hotel.

The welcoming atmosphere together with Roux’s deep interest in the arts continued to attract diverse creatives to the location over the years. The property’s walls were soon covered by paintings, which were most often accumulated through an informal exchange. Roux had a habit of befriending artists and had a discerning eye for burgeoning talent. So it was that emerging and still struggling artists of the time, like Léger, Braque, Calder, Buffet, Matisse, Chagall and Picasso would exchange their artworks for complementary stays or meals at La Colombe d’Or. There still hangs a sign in the hotel that translates in English to something along the lines of, “Here we lodge those on horseback, foot or with paintings.” La Colombe d’Or’s guest book is filled with now celebrated 20th century artists and the hotel’s brilliant collection has become iconic.

Guests can enjoy breakfast or a coffee on the terrace back-dropped by a striking Léger, or take a dip in the pool next to a splendid Calder mobile. By 1940, the South of France became the zone libre, or free zone, and a whole host of thinkers and artists moved to the Cote d’Azur turning the Colombe d’Or into one of their favoured haunts. Jacques Prevert for instance, on the set of Carnet’s Devils Envoys lodged at the hotel and somehow never left, proceeding to move permanently to the village and becoming Roux’s close friend. The property’s careful expansion continued with the facade being assembled with stones from an old castle in Aix-en-Provence and the architect Jacques Couelle designing a fireplace with the hand imprints of the people who helped build it. The hotel now has 13 rooms and 12 suites filled with antique furniture, textiles and tapestries.

La Colombe d’Or’s restaurant, a wholeheartedly Provençal offering, comprises a menu that remains true to the vision of the late Roux, who composed it with a love for his region’s food. Plates of succulent shellfish and grilled sardines, locally grown vegetables, couscous and oven roasted meats are served with copious bottles of house wine. La Colombe d’Or has managed to stay timeless, remaining faithful to its historical roots and continuing to captivate travellers with its uniquely glamorous appeal. Under the Roux family’s watchful eye, now running the hotel for a third generation, the establishment’s art collection continues to grow year after year, with the latest work installed being a large ceramic by the Irish artist Sean Scully. To book a stay at La Colombe d’Or and discover its fascinating collection, get in touch via email or telephone.



Feature images via @studiopanebianco and @lofficielriviera