18th Century Refinement: Hôtel de Caumont... Aix-en-Provence.

One of the many old streets in the historic centre of Aix-en- Provence leads off from the Cours Mirabeau, meandering into the Mazarin quarter, once the quartier of the aristocratic families of the town. Whilst many of the hôtels particuliers from the 17th and 18th century open directly onto the street from their impressive Baroque dooorways, the magnificent Hôtel de Caumont is set beyond high sun-scorched walls, shaded by majestic trees.

As the Hôtel de Caumont is now the Centre d'Art of Aix, it hosts many exhibitions, one of which I came to visit; Bonnard et le Japon. Unfortunately (for me), that meant that I was one of many visitors, making my desire to escape into the unique atmosphere of the place a little difficult, and rendering photo-taking without these same individuals even more so! Loud chat, tittering and selfies did not lend itself to the mood... or mine!

The vast doorway leads into the grand entrance hall and offers an airy, calm impression with the extremely tall windows that stretch between two floors and allow the warm Provençal light to flow in.

On the right, there is now the elegant Salon des Putti, with the gardens beyond. Sadly I did not have the time to visit either of these, nor the Salon des Rinceaux or the Grande Galérie but I do intend to return at a later date.

In the hallway, two sculpted figures of Atlas frame the architectural structure of the ceiling, their expression typically Baroque, and one that is seen in other grand buildings across the historic centre of the city as they toil to hold up their burden; enduring the weight of the world on their shoulders.

Their straining torsos are incredibly life-like and although they form a pair, the two figures are not matching since the younger of the two (below) looks outward to welcome those entering, whilst the older one (above) looks towards the stairway, possibly with the allusion to the passing of time and the hardship that entails.

Sweeping along the walls is the imposing wrought-iron balustrade on the magnificent stairway which was classed as a protected feature in the Inventaire des Monuments Historiques, along with the main gateway and hôtel façade in 1925. To create a dramatic effect, and to mark the tone of the hôtel, the staircase can be seen from the outside of the building. As you ascend the stairs, you feel the typically provençal hexagonal tomette floor tiles underfoot, with their characteristically rich terracotta colour. These are largely visible throughout the building...

The stairway occupies the central axis of the building and is positioned on the left-hand side, contrary to common practice, and as such is but one of several features that sets the hôtel apart from other aixois grand buildings. Equally visible on the stairway rail is the ornate hôtel insignia, with the letters 'R' and 'C' intertwined, to honour the names Réauville and - more obviously - Caumont. Again, these appear to feature throughout the building.

Réauville is in fact in reference to a certain François Rolland de Réauville, Marquis de Cabanes, the president of the Cour des Comptes who sought to have a hôtel constructed to reflect his status and work commenced on the grounds in 1715, almost three hundred years ago! As can be seen from the photo below, even what I presume were once the service stairs seem to highlight Réauville's grand position in the city of Aix, although I doubt very much he ever descended these steps himself!

In order to have a building worthy of his honourable self, Réauville commissioned the French architect Robert de Cotte (1656-1735) to design the hôtel. The latter was an architect of considerable repute for not only did de Cotte work alongside his brother-in-law, Jules Hardouin-Mansart, at Versailles under Louis XIV's reign, he later became Mansart's successor. He went on to complete impressive architectural projects across France and even present-day Germany and indeed also oversaw the transformation of the Palais du Tau in Reims into a classical archiepiscopal palace at the end of the 17th century...

The plan of the residence and its grounds were based around one that originally appeared in 16th century Paris - 'entre cours et jardin', meaning the principal building was set between the courtyard at the front, positioned to receive residents and guests arriving by carriage, and the grand gardens behind. As such, this layout corresponded to an urban-scaled classic château and park ' and lead from a public space - the court yard - to the private ones - hôtel and gardens.

Although the 'entre cour et jardin' design had fallen out of favour and fashion in Aix-en-Provence around 1680, it was nevertheless the one considered worthy of the Réauville name and it was given a particularly intimate Rococco feel that would characterise much of de Cotte's later residental work.

Under Rococco influence, the dramatic Baroque features gave way to gentle, intricate curvilinear designs and details, where luxury was combined with comfort and intimacy. Following the death of Louis XIV, boudoirs, alcoves and private corners began to take precedence over the ostentatious public displays synonymous with Versailles, and the furnishing and ornamentation of the rooms were an integral part of this evolution, naturally.

There are subtle elements of Rocaille decoration of the rooms with golden scrolled forms and shell shapes used along panelling. Today, this is particularly apparent in the bedroom of Pauline de Caumont, and the ornate ceiling plasterwork - les gypseries du plafond.

After the demise of the last generation of the Réauville, the hôtel passed into the hands of the de Bruny family, whose emblem - a running deer - can be seen in the wrought-iron work on the balcony above the main entrance of the residence.

The marriage of one of the daughters, Pauline de Bruny, to the Marquis de Caumont in 1795 lead to the remark that he had indeed taken from the region of Provence, "its most beautiful woman, its most magnificent hôtel and its largest fortune"!

The room that honours Pauline de Caumont features a grand yet relatively delicate lit à la polonaise and the furnishings reflect the same warm, relaxed aspect whilst the rocaille ornamentation harmonizes the whole...

On my way out of the hôtel, I paid a visit to the toilet area that turned out to be so pretty that I returned just to admire the decor!

And the Bonnard exhibition? Well, that will another post!