THE MANIGLIER FOUNDATION

This unique cultural venue celebrates the alliance of a local building (a former sugar mill listed as a heritage site in Mauritius) and a work of international renown (that of painter Maniglier, a former pupil of Matisse): an astonishing foundation that captivates from the very first minute, as dozens of canvases find, on the old basalt stone walls, an exhibition space that knows how to optimize their colors, textures and the creativity of their composition.

A center of life and discussion entirely devoted to the knowledge of art, the foundation is a multi-purpose space comprising a museum, a library that can be converted into a conference room, and several dining rooms. The entrance is via a patio overlooking the ruins, where a swimming pool, surrounded by a private garden, lies dormant. On the same level, a first volume houses a library lounge, leading up to a second space where the Café des Arts gourmet restaurant is located. This is extended by a small, quasi-private (and privatizable) room and an immense terrace-varangue. Canvases hang everywhere, testifying to the evolution and successive artistic influences that permeate Maniglier's work. You can discover the paintings while enjoying a drink with the painter's patron, Jocelyn Gonzalez (a private collector who owns most of the paintings), or over a meal based on fresh local produce, presented in superb tableware designed specifically for the foundation. The volumes, high but human-sized and never overpowering, the design of the furniture and accessories, the beauty and diversity of the paintings on display, the raw charm of the old building, give the whole place the exceptionality of a timeless place, a catalyst of emotions.

Open to tourists by reservation, but not for the general public, Victoria 1840 is in the tradition of the island's most select curiosities: an institution with a philosophical and educational purpose, reserved for art lovers as well as those sensitive to a certain form of aesthetic exclusivity.

Who is Maniglier (1923 - 2008)? A descendant of Count Louis Verjus de Crécy (minister plenipotentiary to Louis XIV), Maniglier was born in Burgundy in 1923. She soon developed a passion for drawing and painting, disciplines for which she showed a natural aptitude. In 1950, the Galerie des Etats-Unis Stolliard in Cannes introduced her to Matisse. Seduced by her young talent as a painter, Matisse welcomed her to his studio in Cimiez, Nice, and gave her invaluable advice for over a year. Maniglier was the master's last private pupil. After a period in Rome, Maniglier continued her studies at Michelangelo's San Marco Academy in Florence, with master Primo Conti. Conti taught him the academicism of classical art. Maniglier then entered the Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart, where Manfred Henninger introduced him to lyrical abstraction. Enriched by these lessons, the artist then explored different avenues, which found expression in a body of work that evolved in many different ways.

Apart from the foundation, where the artist set up part of his studio during the last years of his life, Maniglier exhibited in the most prestigious international galleries, including Parker New York, the Salles Royales de la Madeleine, the Grand Palais...

On-site, the Café des Arts.