Le Cateau-Cambrésis, birthplace of Matisse's genius
Among the many painters of the Hauts-de-France region, Henri Matisse is probably the most striking. The originator of Fauvism, he was both admired and envied by his peers.
Henri Matisse was born in 1869 in Le Cateau-Cambrésis and also lived in the Aisne, in the weaving village of Bohain-en-Vermandois. It was during his childhood that he first came into contact with the art world, as his parents sold colors and pigments in their small business. His family home is located at 26 rue du Château, and you can visit it to discover the history of the village and his childhood. It was here that he developed his taste for colors and plant forms.
When his mother gave him his first box of colors, the future artist had a revelation about painting. A second revelation came when he admired Goya's paintings at the Palais des Beaux-Arts, including Les Vieilles et Les Jeunes: art can be a language, it can be his language, even if he doesn't paint conventionally.
Today, in addition to his family home, there are many testimonies to the artist's presence in the region: his collection Jazz at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille, comprising 20 plates on the circus, stories and travels, donated in 1947; and a stained-glass window in gouache cut-outs, originally intended for the Chapelle du Rosaire in Vence, eventually donated to the school in Cateau-Cambrésis, where it still features (in the playroom). The Matisse Museum, another landmark in the town, was created at the behest of the artist, who donated 82 of his works to the museum. It's a marvel of color to visit. He died in 1954 before seeing "his museum", but it continues to pay tribute to this great man with over 800 works.
The Valenciennes region also saw the birth of many painters: the most famous is probably Antoine Watteau, of whom the town's museum holds four paintings and who gave his name to the nearby high school. Others include Charles-Dominique-Joseph Eisen, Jacques Saly... Many of them also wore the hats of painter, engraver, illuminator or sculptor. Interesting to know: in the 15th century, Valenciennes' many painters, engravers, sculptors and embroiderers joined forces to form the Confrérie de Saint-Luc.
The painters of the Opal Coast : a whole history
The "Côte d'Opale" designation of our beautiful coastline has its origins in painting and the arts. In 1911, Touquet painter Édouard Lévêque decided to call the Le Touquet coastline in particular, and the entire coastline between Le Crotoy and Equihen-Plage, "Côte d'Opale", in tribute to its special light. The name has stuck ever since, earning Le Touquet the nickname "Pearl of the Côte d'Opale".
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a large number of painters began to frequent the Côte d'Opale. Marine painting was particularly in vogue at the time, with its striking nature, picturesque scenes of life, the atmosphere of the ports and the many technical details of the ships. In addition, the development of railway lines made many cities accessible to painters who had previously remained on their home turf. Depending on their pied-à-terre, these painters became known as the Wissant School, the Etaples School of Painters or the Berck Painters.
It was the Wissant school that initiated the movement, with the leading couple Adrien and Virginie Demont-Breton, who were to welcome others such as Henri Duhem, Fernand Stévenart, Marie Huhem-Sergeant, Félix Planquette and Valentine Pèpe.
A year later, Étaples became a favorite spot for Parisians, and over 200 painters settled here between 1882 and 1914, forming the Étaples School of Painters. They included French painters such as Eugène Chigot and Henri-Eugène Le Sidaner, as well as American, Australian and Scandinavian painters, giving the town a unique artistic effervescence that is partly reflected in La Maison du Port and its 30-odd works. The town is highly appreciated for its authenticity, natural landscapes and easy access by train from Paris.
Berck's artists include Edouard Manet, Eugène Boudin, Louis Montaigu and Charles Roussel. All this artistic enthusiasm was partly stifled by the Great War, but left a lasting mark on the region, whose many museums still pay tribute to the famous Côte d'Opale painters.
Numerous artistic venues
Many of the region's museums give pride of place to painters from the Hauts-de-France region. At the Musée de Picardie in Amiens, for example, the Galerie Nord is devoted to "Portrait(s) d'une région et d'une époque", bringing together works from different periods. A monumental work by Francis Tattegrain, the famous Berck painter, entitled Les Deuillants, evokes the pain of a family who lost their husband and father at sea.
The Opal Coast is particularly dynamic in terms of culture and the arts, and there are plenty of places to cultivate a taste for the arts. In Calais, the Musée des Beaux-Arts invites visitors to discover the town and its artists with the "Calais, d'ici et d'ailleurs" collection and its 150 works, including some by Calais artists (Louis Francia, Jeanne Thil...), photographs of early 20th-century Calais, old Flemish paintings, English watercolors and works by Bourdelle, Picasso, Roulland, Carpeaux... Also worth a visit are the Musée du Touquet-Paris-Plage and the FRAC Nord Pas-de-Calais in Dunkirk, where over 1,500 works can be admired.
When art takes to the streets
Alongside this cultural effervescence, art is increasingly taking to the streets, with the creation of numerous street-art circuits and festivals. Whether the aim is to pay tribute to our heritage or to revitalize neglected cities, the effect is beautiful.
In the Lille area, there are numerous circuits in Lille, Roubaix, Tourcoing... Every two years, the BIAM (Biennale Internationale d'Art Mural) is organized by the Renart collective, with the participation of numerous artists in the metropolitan area, as well as in the Denaisis and Valenciennois regions. Every year, the Roubais area also hosts the Expériences Urbaines festival, featuring street art, dance, sport and music. Other urban culture players regularly make their presence felt, such as Halle de Glisse and Flow.
In the Oise region, the village of Pont-l'Évêque has made a name for itself by becoming the only village in France to take part in a national urban art competition. It was the Pontépiscop'Art festival that launched the movement in 2019, with the selection of one of the town's frescoes (Utopie, by artist Hopare) among the Golden street-art finalists.
In the Somme region, a building slated for demolition was completely transformed into an ephemeral urban art transition space in Abbeville. The event was a resounding success, with visitors from all walks of life and virtually sold-out slots.
In the Aisne region, the town of Saint-Quentin is a real winner. Every two years since 2015, it has invited numerous artists to come and transform its walls during the Ceci n'est pas un tag festival. In Soissons, too, you can follow the C215 urban itinerary, with 25 portraits scattered throughout the city, to meet the great figures of local and national history.
In the Boulonnais region, street art has found its place for several years now. It often pays tribute to the history of the area, with many works focusing on the sea and fishermen, but not only that. So much so that several street-art festivals have sprung up, such as the one in Boulogne-sur-Mer which takes place every summer, transforming the town into an "open-air museum". Here, you can meet many artists at work, transforming the city as they go. One of the most remarkable works is Gonzalo Borondo's trompe-l'œil on a huge staircase in the city's rue Jules-Baudelocque. According to the artist, this work illustrates life: at first, it shows a closed door, but the further you climb the stairs, the further you go beyond the difficulties. The mural was awarded first prize in the Golden Street Art 2020 competition, a first for the city, several of whose murals had previously been finalists, but never winners. The city also made a name for itself by hosting the "Les murs d'Audubon" initiative, whose frescoes raise awareness of endangered bird species. The Boulogne-sur-Mer fresco is located on rue Laënnec and features the Kestrel in a colorful foreground.
Could Boulogne-sur-Mer have been emulated on the Côte d'Opale? It would seem so, for in 2023, the Calais street-art festival celebrated its fourth birthday, helping to spread urban culture throughout the city. It has to be said that the latter had made a name for itself with the arrival of Banksy. In 2015, Banksy dedicated four works to raising awareness of the living conditions of migrants. The first was created at the entrance to the former Calais "jungle", which at the time housed hundreds of migrants. It depicts Steve Jobs, himself the son of a Syrian emigrant. The second was drawn on the wall of a building, inspired by the Raft of the Medusa. Unfortunately, it was erased when the owner decided to renovate the facade. The third can still be seen on the beach at Calais, with a young girl looking through her spyglass towards England, without seeing the vulture on her spyglass. The fourth is located under a bridge, and is more minimalist, with a simple inscription: "Maybe all this will resolve itself...".
