Picasso and the Spanish masters in Provence
Visiting the Carrière des Lumières on a cycle tour
The Carrière des Lumières - The Quarry of Lights - is one of the highlights of our Provence Roman Heritage tour for cyclists wanting to get to know the Provence region by bike.
Located at the heart of the Alpilles mountains, this former limestone quarry has become an incredible audio-visual experience to delight the senses, projecting animated images onto the enormous rock faces of the quarry, accompanied by specially-selected music.
In 2017, the theme was the works of Heironymus Bosch and Peter Bruegel, mixing snapshots of 15th century peasant life with bizarre visions of Hell. In 2018, however, things will be taking a more abstract route, intertwining the Cubist masterpieces of Pablo Picasso with the portraiture and coastal scenes of the Spanish masters - Francisco Goya, Santiago Rusiñol, Ignacio Zuloaga and Joaquín Sorolla, all topped off with the intense and emotional work of Picasso during World War II.
In 2018 the Carrière des Lumières presented two centuries of Spanish masterpieces of art, from 18th century Madrilenia to Guernica in 1937, which was a huge highlight of the trips we guided to Provence.
The Carrière des Lumières is part of our Roman Heritage cycling tours, now open for enquiries and bookings.
We have Provence tours running every year, check our Dates overview page to find the next suitable one for your group, or contact us for a bespoke tour.
Picasso and Provence
Pablo Picasso developed a profound connection with Provence and the Côte d'Azur, which became his spiritual home and a source of inspiration for the latter half of his life.
From Sorgues to Arles, Ménerbes, Vauvenargues, Juan-les-Pins, Antibes, Vallauris, Cannes and Mougins, where he died in 1973, his story is intrinsically linked to this magical area of France…
Picasso used a section of the Château Grimaldi in Antibes as his studio and in return, welcomed 23 of Picasso’s paintings and 44 drawings to the museum's collection.
He then immersed himself in ceramics in Vallauris from 1948 to 1955, producing thousands of pieces. Later, he purchased the Château de Vauvenargues near Aix-en-Provence in 1958, drawn to the area's light and its association with Paul Cézanne, whom he deeply admired.
Though he didn't stay long at Vauvenargues, he and his wife Jacqueline Roque are buried there. Picasso spent his final twelve years, from 1961 until his death in 1973, in Mougins, at the "Mas de Notre Dame de Vie," a serene estate that offered him continued creative stimulation amidst the vibrant Provençal landscape. The region's unique quality of light, ancient mythological themes, and Mediterranean charm permeated his work during these prolific years.
See another side to this stunning area via our guided Provence Roman Heritage tour for cyclists.