Land of light and contrasts, Provence has always attracted artists.
Its varied landscapes, its colors, the contrast between the red
of the Calanques and the blond colored sand, between the deep green
of the pines and the grayish green of the olive trees' leaves, between
the gentleness of the plains and the rocky relief of the alps, are
just so many undeniable charms.
From when he first created Grasse's museums, Francois Carnot made
it his duty to restore this variety by gathering under the same
roof painters from different periods; severe unknowns from the 17th
century, more playful and at times outright frivolous painters from
the 18th century, painters of light from the 19th and 20th centuries,
and painters native to the region or drawn by the light and the
gentle climate. This policy, continued by the city of Grasse, has
permitted the creation of a collection whose common thread is undeniably
the love of Provence.
