Towns of Provence Lecture Two: Arles

This three-part lecture series investigates the history, art and architecture of three outstanding cultural centers located in Provence in the South of France.

Lecture Two: Arles
Located on the banks of the Rhone, Arles was founded by the Romans and was later an important center of Christianity. This historic city boasts an array of impressive monuments from the 1st century theatre and amphitheatre through the 4th century Baths of Constantine to the 12th century Romanesque basilica of Saint Trophime — the starting point of a major medieval pilgrimage trail. Arles is also celebrated as the site where van Gogh produced some of his best-known work and today is home to the contemporary art complex, the Luma Foundation, crowned by Frank Gehry’s ‘starry night’ tower. 

GUEST SPEAKER:
Pamela Morton is an artist and university teacher who has been living and working in the south of France for over thirty years. An expert on Provence and the artists of the south, she has organized and led museum and site visits for cultural organizations and college students. She lectures on Picasso and Matisse, as well as  on Cezanne and van Gogh. She has also taught painting and drawing along with 19th and 20th century art history courses for study abroad programs in Aix and Marseille. With a background that includes art restoration and museum education, Pamela brings special insight to her understanding of artistic works and their settings, both in time and place. Like the artists she studies and admires, Pamela finds inspiration for her own work in the bold light and landscapes of the south of France.