REPORT The exclusive Golf de Cannes Mougins in southern France is the first golf course along the Riviera to renovate its fairways from cool-season grass to Tahoma 31 bermuda has been renovated several times since it first opened in 1923 continues at one hole per year to disrupt play as little as possible the club closed the course for two months to renovate all 18 fairways going from cool-season grass to a dense and drought-resistant warm-season bermuda The project was spearheaded by Alejandro Reyes director of agronomy for consultancy firm Turfgrass Agronomy & Services Reyes tested Tahoma 31 against other varieties on-site at Cannes Mougins Once Tahoma 31 proved itself as the best performer the membership approved an 18-hole fairway regrassing Grow-in was facilitated by golf course superintendent Thibaut Perez and the grass was grown by Marco Bindi and his team at Bindi Prato Pronto Nord at a farm near Rome Perez and Reyes agree that selecting a turf with a dense canopy was imperative to address two issues – herbicide restrictions and playability “We have very little herbicides to use in France and our intention is to reduce the use of them as much as possible while keeping playability high,” says Reyes “Not having access to herbicides to eradicate grassy weeds such as poa annua is very difficult.” “We like the density because goosegrass and we currently have no effective way to control them,” says Perez “We needed something to conquer and push these weeds out of play naturally while controlling them mechanically.” In addition Tahoma 31 fairways are maintained at nine millimetres (the cool-season grass was maintained at 14) “Tahoma 31 allowed us to cut the fairways much shorter during the season,” says Reyes the Playing firm and fast in France Photo: Tahoma 31 Golf de Cannes Mougins has regrassed its fairways with Tahoma 31 bermuda Stacie Zinn Roberts spoke with agronomist Alejandro Reyes and superintendent Thibaut Perez about its performance European data center firm Evroc is planning a new facility outside Cannes dubbed an "AI factory," will be a "state-of-the-art 96MW hyperscale data center and designed to power next-generation AI workloads," the company said Further details on the development weren’t shared The company said it aims to invest €4 billion ($4.1bn) in the project “We see France as a central hub for AI research and innovation,” said Mattias Astrom “Our new data center in Mougins represents both a critical infrastructure investment and a commitment to local technology and talent we’re opening new frontiers for Europe’s AI ecosystem.” Mougins is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur It is located north of Cannes and west of Nice Evroc said it also plans to secure two additional 100MW+ sites in France over 2025 – further details weren’t shared Launched in 2023 Swedish start-up Evroc aims to develop highly sustainable hyperscale facilities across Europe and offer cloud services The company has previously secured funding from EQT and Norrsken VC Plans for Evroc’s first site – outside Stockholm in Arlandastad, Sweden – were first announced in late 2023. The company recently closed on the sale of the site and aims to invest €600 million ($640m) in the project Evroc is aiming to break ground in Arlandastad in the first half of 2025 and expects the site to be operational by the latter half of 2026. Specifications for development haven’t been shared – but Sifted previously reported it will span 3,500 sqm (37,675 sq ft) The company said the Swedish data center will be designed to contain 16,000 GPUs at full capacity Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia FranceChevron MouginsChevron ChevronChevronPhotosSave this storySaveSave this storySaveReviewed by Lindsey TramutaWhy book With its secluded location in a Provençal hillside and a retro-chic look from designer Hugo Toro Le Mas Candille is the intimate luxury alternative to the glitzier properties along the Côte d’Azur has a long history with France’s greatest artists and creative minds Its warren of narrow cobblestone streets and stone structures were once home to Paul Eluard it’s where Picasso spent the last twelve years of his life A monumental sculpture of the artist’s head takes pride of place in the heart of the village And only a five minute walk down the hill from this picturesque town sits Le Mas Candille the newest iteration of a twenty-year-old destination property at a remove from the road and spread across nearly 10 acres of parkland Nearly every perch on site delivers spectacular Mountain views of Grasse—a huge draw for the chic European newlyweds and hospitality industry execs from across the south of France who flocked to celebrate this new chapter for Mougins’ retreat-like hotel when it reopened in July A Provençal farmhouse-style hotel for twenty-years the property was tired and outdated by the time the entrepreneur and hotelier Jean-Philippe Cartier (of the group H8 Collection which includes L’Hôtel Mont Blanc in Chamonix) and Prisca Courtin-Clarins of the Clarins cosmetics family took the reigns They went above and beyond what the previous property could offer creating a Mediterranean garden and pathways for guests to navigate they tapped the 35-year-old architect and interior designer Hugo Toro known for his penchant for exuberant mixed motifs and aesthetic style largely drawn from his travels (Among his big projects is the Villa Albertine upgrade in New York.) Here he went with a retro hybrid: a Riviera color palette (ochre various yellows and greens) with Californian holiday home accents to reflect the landscapes and vegetation that the Cannes hinterland shares with the Hollywood Hills Even Palm Trees were added to the area surrounding the poolside restaurant aptly called Pool rooms and even The Glow House spa nod to Art Deco inspirations from the seventies-style boiseries and vintage decorative pieces like tapisseries to the carpets and stained-oak furniture designed by Toro himself Forty-six rooms and suites are spread out across two buildings—the Mas (original farmhouse) and the Bastide and separate villas located at the base of the property they’re very much in line with Toro’s vision—nature-inspired and decorated to contrast with the opulence typical to the grand hotels of Cannes I was given a Deluxe room with valley views located in the Bastide with an entrance just across from the Pool bar-restaurant and see-and-be-seen swimming pool with a balcony outfitted with furniture (the only relics from the previous property) I appreciated that the King-sized bed was almost as comfortable as the cushioned tables used in the spa but will most remember the details throughout—an ashwood desk from the 1940s a smattering of herbariums and antiqued objects at the top of the headboard enveloping armchairs that made it easy to feel at home quite quickly My bathroom had both a shower and a bathtub (with a little window looking out onto the valley) and a pink Norwegian marble countertop For those who want total privacy (and have the budget) spring for a terrasse suite with valley views and a location set off from the rest of the property are meant to be compatible with the property's broader wellness focus there’s still plenty of wine and cocktails to go around) The Pool restaurant serves things like an updated Niçoise salad a grilled octopus and green bean salad (selected for its abundance of magnesium and vitamin B The fine dining restaurant La Table des Pins is set to open later this fall under chef Romain Antoine with a menu also crafted with an eye toward health (fish seafood and mostly plant-based but not strictly vegan) but without sacrificing on flavor This is a Clarins spa concept (in what is essentially a Clarins hotel even if it isn’t overtly marketed as such) the focus is on coaxing out the skin’s natural radiance but it goes far beyond that whitewashed spas in the gargantuan hotels along the Croisette in Cannes the treatments are meant to cater to certain needs: Reset & Glow for those aiming at relaxation and anti-stress Shape & Glow for a focus on form and slimming and Beauty Glow for a youthful and radiant glow) but it doesn't only happen in the spa it has been integrated into the restaurants where the connection between overall health (including skin health) and diet is woven into the lunch and dinner offerings guests can also book in for a multi-day wellness retreat with customized activities and treatments At all stages of the experience, the service is casual but professional. Younger staff who were very clearly in training were enthusiastic and eager to please. With the exception of the pool area at The Glow House, which is reserved for adults only, every part of the hotel is welcoming of families, including small children. The Pool restaurant offers a children’s menu (and has kid-friendly dishes on the adult menu, like freshly-baked sourdough pizza), a handful of rooms connect to accommodate family and friends, and there’s a dedicated kids club on top of a more elevated games room meant for all. The hotel’s energy system was overhauled during the renovation, including upgraded insulation, the addition of solar panels, and selection native local plants that don’t require excessive watering. More broadly, local and low plastic are the primary ecological focuses, from the sourcing of ingredients for the dining program and the native plants used in the garden to the full-size refillable Clarins bath products set up throughout the property. From elevators to pathways, accessible rooms and The Glow House spa, Le Mas Candille respects ADA standards. up-to-the-minute voice in all things travel Condé Nast Traveler is the global citizen’s bible and muse We understand that time is the greatest luxury which is why Condé Nast Traveler mines its network of experts and influencers so that you never waste a meal or a hotel stay wherever you are in the world Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Louis Joseph Mougin passed away peacefully in the presence of his wife Christy and children on November 23 at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse He graduated from Fairfield High School and the University of Iowa with a degree in Mechanical Engineering as a research engineer and earned several patents He enjoyed a wide range of skills and interests – design He and Christy traveled in the United States and Canada extensively after retirement Lou and Christy celebrated 62 years of marriage He was invested in their education and served as an outstanding role model Martine and Emerson and held the respect and affection of his sons and daughters-in-law Lou had deep values and always strived to be honest He is further survived by his brothers and sisters Mel A funeral mass will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday A visitation will be held in the gathering space at the church beginning at 10:00 am Parking has been arranged in the lot behind the church Livestreaming of the service will be available at the Newman Center website please contribute to a cause of your choice Lou’s favorite charities were our local food bank the public library and The Nature Conservancy Or do a kind thing for someone who needs help Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Europe’s first private museum dedicated solely to art made by women opens in Mougins The Provençal town of Mougins—a petite, picturesque spiral perched on a hilltop between Cannes and Grasse—has proved irresistible to many artists, among them Francis Picabia, Fernand Léger, Jean Cocteau, Isadora Duncan, and Man Ray The protean Pablo Picasso spent the last 12 years of his life in a palatial villa just outside the town In a move calculated to roll the big man over in his grave (which is not in Mougins as the mayor is said to have refused the burial of the “billionaire communist”) the town is now home to the first private museum in Europe exclusively dedicated to art created by women Visitors to Femmes Artistes du Musée de Mougins (FAMM) pass by a giant sculpture of Picasso’s head on their way into the museum where striking portraits by his lovers Dora Maar and Françoise Gilot side-eye each other across a gallery on the third floor It’s an eye-catching endeavor on the part of the art collector Christian Levett who showcased his collection of classical antiquities in this space—which was known as the Mougins Museum of Classical Art—from 2011 until last year have the same highly addictive behavior gene," asserts Christian Levett It was in his mid-20s that this love of history fostered by his parents’ avid museum patronage While working in investment banking in Paris, Levett discovered the intoxicating world of antiquities putting the earnings of his early successes toward ancient artifacts Many of them came to be housed in his vacation home in the South of France alpine village Mougins proved the perfect place for his assortment of classical pieces and the ideal location to open the Mougins Museum of Classical Art featuring works from Levett’s collection by artists including Berthe Morisot From his similarly art-lined home in Florence Levett lets readers in on the inspiration behind this shift and the singular charm of the Parisian art market.  Where does the story of your personal collection begin?  I was always interested in history growing up and I visited historical sights and museums with my parents I worked in Paris for 18 months in my mid-20s and I knew I would only be there a short while and that it was a great opportunity to self-educate in art history so it financially allowed me to start collecting in a serious way quite quickly You don't necessarily need a lot of money to collect of course. Many people happily collect things of very little value and their collections are equally important to them in their own way How has the local art scene influenced your collection?  Since the plan to change my museum in Mougins from exhibiting my classical art collection to my modern female art collection I've been more conscious about adding French female artists I had also been expanding the collection to contain Impressionism and Post-Impressionism and that led me to mostly buy from galleries and auction houses in France So I've been adding artists such as Berthe Morisot naturally the gallery scene in the Marais has exploded in recent years with many of the world's major contemporary galleries having amazing spaces and shows in that area That's led me to be buying in that area of Paris I've also generally tried to make it to FIAC then Art Basel Paris which has always been a fair where galleries have put together very high-class stands seeing as it's not been a huge sprawling fair to date and I've generally felt over the years that this has led to an exceptional curation of their stands Which artist are you currently most excited about and why?  Financially speaking, just about all female artists of any significant note and provenance. They're all still massively undervalued and the trend in buying female art is still, quite surprisingly, in its absolute infancy. Hugely undervalued artists that spring to mind are Leonor Fini and all of the Impressionist and Post-Impressionists I love the female Surrealist area. It's the genre in particular where I truly feel that the top women were better painters and more imaginative than the top males.  What factors do you consider when expanding your collection?  I like to form collections within the collection and give a cohesive feel Then a collector feels that you're constantly making steps towards finishing a jigsaw and that's very satisfying the technical aspects are creating an emotion of some kind What was your biggest influence in fostering your passion for art?  The overwhelming feeling when I walked into a castle or cathedral or the British museum as a child somehow translated into a similar feeling when I walked into the Louvre and started spending my weekends there But then art took over as my passion as it has the double-whammy of the historical aspect to the piece as well as the genius of its creation and the added feeling that this gives you.  What's the biggest misconception about collecting antiquities It is easy to get too tied up in thinking about the history of the piece or vase is also a great work of art made in the artist ateliers of the past you see it as an artwork. When you look at a Roman sculpture your first instinct is to try to imagine the Roman building that it was in or what someone was wearing or saying that was standing next to it 2,000 years ago People lose sense of the artistry because it's so old What inspired your shift to collecting female artists What was the most surprising thing you learned during that transition?  I could buy the greatest artworks by the greatest women artists of the last 160 years Why wouldn't anyone want to put together a museum-quality collection in this area while that unbelievable opportunity still exists I love loaning works to museum exhibitions and owning my own museum and giving tours of my houses to museum patron groups That all comes about because I've been able to buy masterpieces by the top women artists and it's been constantly surprising to me that this has even been possible What are the three must-see shows this month?  Sign up to our newsletter for the latest arts and culture updates Residents are being offered a grant towards purchasing quieter lawn mowers and other electrical garden tools in a commune in the south of France is offering up to 30% towards tools such as hedge trimmers and leaf blowers provided they meet certain ‘low noise’ rules passed the resolution to come into effect at the beginning of this year but had previously passed by-laws to limit noise pollution in 2022.  It also already offers a subsidy to residents purchasing electric wood chippers / mulchers (broyeur électrique).  The scheme will be trialled for one year and then extended if it is believed to have reduced gardening noise levels The subsidy is available to purchases fulfilling the following conditions:  The item is purchased in-person at a store and not online  The item complies to current European standards  The item does not cost above a certain amount (e.g Residents then complete a form and send it to the mairie including an invoice for the product - and receive the subsidy directly into their bank account a switch to electric appliances over traditional combustion ones will correspond to a reduction in pollution and less energy used to complete tasks.  There are national limits on loud noises from tools in France including noise caused by garden equipment.  you can only mow your lawn or engage in other noisy garden work between 10:00 and 12:00 on Sundays and bank holidays.  all noisy gardening work is banned on these days Read more: When and at what times can you mow your lawn in France? Read more: Gardening, DIY: what you can and cannot do on a bank holiday in France preparing the lawn…here is how to welcome sunnier days with the recommended no-trim period lasting until August Need Help? My Profile Logout It’s impossibly cute… Real life bluegrass husband-and-wife, Jana and Stephen Mougin, who together operate the Dark Shadow Recording studio and label, and who met as bluegrass performers some years ago, have released a spousal duet version of Tim O’Brien’s Like I Just To Do The two of them grew up loving bluegrass music and playing it where they lived; Jana in Slovakia while Jana was playing bass and singing with Czech group Jana hasn’t been signing actively for some time she has been spending more time in the studio with a new project in the works for Dark Shadow Jana says that Like I Used To Do won her heart when she first heard it and was convinced to record this charming love song by something of a freak coincidence “When Tim O’Brien’s album and I told Stephen it would be a great song for us to sing as a duet Around the same time we bought a car that used to belong to our dear friend Joyce Joyce was a huge bluegrass fan who had been in Stephen’s life since his early childhood I met her when I started touring with Fragment and she would come to our shows in different states She loved to travel and she was a very important guest at our small wedding there were still a few of her personal things in there… including a couple of CDs The Seldom Scene Like We Used To Be was one of them I knew that album (we recorded Some Morning Soon with Fragment) but I totally forgot that Like I Used To Do was a part of it too When I put that disc in the CD player and  heard this song The song was written by Patrick Alger and Tim O’Brien and the Mougins brought in an A Team to assist in the studio and Jana’s former bandmate from Slovakia Like I Used To Do is available now from popular download and streaming services online, and to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct. emailAbout the AuthorJohn LawlessJohn had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2004 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011 managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents Latest Event ListingsSearch Events powered by AhSo © Bluegrass Today 2025powered by AhSo ShareA specialist’s look inside the most prestigious private collection of arms and armour in the worldChristie’s Antiquities specialist Maxwell Murphy breaks down the history of a lion shield blazon a Picenian helmet and more from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art From 2011 to 2023, the Mougins Museum of Classical Art in the south of France housed its founder Christian Levett’s exceptional grouping of Classical art and antiquities, including the largest private collection of arms and armour in the world. A Greek bronze lion shield blazon, c. 400-300 BCE. Height: 24⅝ in (62.5 cm). Estimate: $400,000-600,000. Offered in Arms and Armour from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art, Part II on 8 October 2024 at Christie’s in New York A Roman marble Athena, c. 1st-2nd Century CE. Height: 43¾ in (111.1 cm). Estimate: $200,000-300,000. Offered in Arms and Armour from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art, Part II on 8 October 2024 at Christie’s in New York A Picenian bronze helmet with leather and basketry lining, c. 7th Century BCE. Height: 12⅝ in (32 cm). Estimate: $150,000-250,000. Offered in Arms and Armour from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art, Part II on 8 October 2024 at Christie’s in New York a weekly newsletter delivering our top stories and art market insights to your inbox Alice Neel’s 1972 painting Jackie Curtis as a Boy picturesque spiral perched on a hilltop between Cannes and Grasse—has proved irresistible to many artists The town is now home to the first private museum in Europe exclusively dedicated to art created by women The museum displays just over 100 artworks around a fourth of Levett’s collection of pieces made by women such as Frida Kahlo His bold mission combined with an intensely focused execution—only one to five works by each artist—produces a revelatory vision of women’s creative power a place of communion with the spirit of the artists who have always been there While not a specifically Christmas song, Frozen in Time, the latest from Stephen & Jana Mougin a welcome vibe for those folks who deeply love the season The couple, who jointly operate Nashville’s Dark Shadow Recording studio and label and its attendant changes in the landscape but the approach of the holidays and plans for staying indoors are surely felt by everyone Stephen shared how remarkably easily this recording came together “It was an extremely short time between deciding to cut a tune for this release and actually recording it Jana sent a note out to several of our songwriter pals Our long-time pal Rick Lang sent one after another which Jana started previewing while we sat on the couch we looked at each other and knew immediately that it was exactly what we were looking for We were so fortunate that everyone we wanted to play on the cut could come to the studio on the ONE day we had available to cut it With Stephen on guitar and both he and Jana on vocals They put together a rich and sonically gorgeous track that is sure to make you long for a crackling log fire and a comfy blanket Frozen in Time is available now from popular download and streaming services online, and to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct. ChevronChevronPhotosSave this storySaveSave this storySaveReviewed by Lindsey TramutaWhy go Zig-zag through the network of paths dotted with palm trees, lavender, cypress, and bougainvillea fanning off from the entrance of Le Mas Candille hotel in Mougins to reach this new concept from the French skincare brand. A standalone building done up in designer Hugo Toro's vaguely retro ochre and olive color palette and overlooking the hills of Grasse, it's a destination unto itself—both for hotel guests and Riviera locals. Large, refillable sizes of Clarins products are available for use in the changing rooms—similar to guest rooms in the hotel only there, more plastic-heavy travel sizes are also waiting for guests by the sink and bathtub. Beyond this, very little communication in the spa specifically around sustainability efforts. Access along the path between the hotel entrance, the pool, and the spa has been adapted for reduced mobility guests and wheelchair users. Upon request, the hotel-spa can also provide a wheelchair designed for pool immersion. ShareSaveCommentLifestyleTravelWorth Visiting On France’s Cote D’Azur: Mougins And Cap D’AntibesByLaurie Werner Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights Laurie Werner is a New York-based writer covering travel and food.Follow AuthorJul 29 04:56pm EDTShareSaveCommentThe hilltop village of Mougins But that’s not the only reason to come to Mougins are still drawing heat-seeking gastro visitors But among the visitors now are also culture fanciers strolling the 30 galleries and ateliers in the town’s narrow stone streets and visiting museums packed with antiquities The Egyptian collection at Musee d'Art Classique de Mougins The standout in town is the Musee d'Art Classique de Mougins a museum displaying the private collection of British financier and local resident Christian Levett a history devotee who was drawn to the town in part due to its Roman and Greek origins: the village was built on the site of a Roman hilltop fort The three floors showcase the diversity of Levett’s collecting ranging from Roman coins and jewelry to ancient arms and armor and paintings But the entire collection will only be on view until the end of August when the museum closes for a transformation into The Musee D’Art Contemporain de Mougins displaying modern and contemporary art exhibitions opening in Spring Galleries on Rue des Orfèvres in the center of Mougins The private beach at Cap d'Antibes Beach Hotel It’s a calmer scene a floor up at Les Pêcheurs where the menu is largely determined by the seafood caught by the two fishermen who dock next to the hotel particularly “our friend Tony” who seems to specialize in red mullet and scorpion fish The elevated menu also lists the specific producers for every item But look out for Tony’s contributions and order whatever he’s brought in that day A room facing the sea at Cap d'Antibes Beach Hotel But such is the reputation of Mas Candille a charming 46-bedroom hotel half an hour’s drive north of Nice that on a Monday lunchtime in July the loungers around the pool are packed and a Lamborghini painted a brave shade of orange even though the foodie village of Mougins is just a ten-minute stroll away the restaurant is abuzz with holidaying French families: women in vertiginous heels clinking champagne glasses; cute children in improbably white linen shirts; tanned men contentedly puffing on fat cigars under the moonlit cedars Fernand Léger and Christian Dior once lived near this little Provençal bubble and that Pablo Picasso spent his last days in Mougins This part of the world couldn’t be more idyllic — or French The libraryThe busy-ness of the hotel is partly because it’s been shut for two and a half years for a restoration the old Provençal farmhouse — or “mas” — was owned by the francophile Englishman Mark Silver who over 20 years had transformed a run-down traditional building into a much-loved Relais & Châteaux boutique hotel with a Michelin-star restaurant like many Brits abroad the Silvers had to pack up their French home and head home keen on promoting French heritage and culture characterful H8 Collection hotels; Prisca Courtin of the Clarins family (who created the spa); and a young chef whose stint at Paloma in nearby Mougins helped it to earn two Michelin stars Add a fashionable young French-Mexican interior designer and a polished general manager who ran the Majestic in Cannes The Bar des Pins with its ceramic-surround fireplaceWhat they’ve managed to create is a hotel that has kept the bits people loved but injected a fresh art-deco-meets-California vibe still glow luminously in the setting sunlight and paths still wind through beautifully landscaped gardens aglow with pink laurel and fragrant with lavender and rosemary the former classic Provençal interiors have been replaced with something much smarter and more international Alongside traditional olive greens and honey yellows Toro has introduced lots of American ranch-style colours: burgundies and rusts creating a far more masculine look (in my suite the only colours were the creams and muted yellows of carpets and curtains and dark pink marble in the bathroom) are as international: a Native American drum alongside a carved Mexican bowl; empty glass decanters and inkwells; an African sculpture adjacent to a Balinese-style rattan screen that hides a TV on the wall opposite my bed there was also a full-height mirror — thankfully with a little curtain to pull across it should I not fancy having a face-off with myself at bedtime) The living spaces are rich with local characterThe living spaces in the communal areas In the main farmhouse — which has 21 rooms with a giant balcony on which to suntan or star-watch — the cosy bar/restaurant is decorated with local art and dried flowers Some pieces are arranged in green-ceramic frames from the village of Vallauris others are lit by glass lanterns blown nearby in Biot browns and greens — including the green ceramic-surround fireplace which has been there for over a century — this will be the spot to be in winter when it opens as Antoine’s main gastro-restaurant The pool restaurant has views over the wooded hillsUntil then the talented chef’s young team is based at the pool restaurant with views over the twinkling lights of Grasse and wooded hills beyond he presents old favourites: guacamole with homemade biscuits; burrata on slices of tomato sweet and rich with sunshine; violet-hued artichokes scattered with parmesan and hazelnuts (all served with hunks of delicious bread and mountains of salted butter) staff deliver richly flavoured plates: fire-grilled chicken glossy with sweet thyme-scented jus; herb-strewn rich lobster pasta; generously portioned truffle risotto — all accompanied by the sorts of fine wines you expect in a five-star hotspot off the Cote d’Azur which has been transformed by the Clarins family is a Kneipp pool to cool down on sweltering days and a little sauna and steam-room for wintery days Clarins therapists deliver treatments using the brand’s own plant-based products (including one called Glow Then there’s Mougins itself: the picture-perfect Provençal hill town restaurants and two museums — the FAMM (Female Artists of the Mougins Museum) and the Centre of Photography — for an afternoon of cultural immersion if you can tear yourself away from those spa loungers and that pool … Double rooms from €490 to €1,470 in winter, mascandille.com Following the success of their debut release Like I Used To Do, husband-and-wife duo Stephen and Jana Mougin are back with their evocative new single, Frozen In Time beautifully captures the frosty charm of drifting snow and crisp winter air—an ode to the cold-weather nostalgia often missing from their Nashville surroundings Having relocated to Music City two decades ago from their hometowns in Massachusetts and Slovakia Stephen and Jana have poured their longing for true winter into this uptempo track With its heartfelt lyrics and captivating melody Frozen In Time is sure to resonate with audiences far and wide Known widely as “Mojo,” Stephen Mougin is a musical powerhouse whose career spans roles as a guitarist in the Sam Bush Band With a reputation for elevating artists to their highest potential Stephen has left an indelible mark on acoustic music His 2020 solo album showcased his immense talent and fans can anticipate more solo work in the near future Slovakian-born Jana Mougin is a classically trained vocalist who discovered bluegrass music at age 15 A former lead vocalist and bassist for the European bluegrass band Fragment Jana has earned acclaim both in Europe and the United States Since co-founding Dark Shadow Recording with Stephen in 2009 Jana has become a driving force in the bluegrass industry Her debut solo single If I Didn’t Love You received significant airplay in 2023 showcasing her vocal prowess and storytelling ability Located atop a scenic hill overlooking Nashville Dark Shadow Recording is a full-service studio and label helmed by Stephen Mougin Known for its high-quality productions in bluegrass the label boasts an impressive roster of artists “It was an extremely short time between deciding to record a new track and actually making it happen,” shares Stephen Mougin “When Jana and I heard this song from Rick Lang from the incredible musicians who joined us in the studio to the flawless execution of the track Progressive jam giants Umphrey's McGee‘s return to Las Vegas for the seventh installment of the massively popular UMBowl production was marked once again by a stand-out tour closing dual evening extravaganza where all stops were pulled out and the power given directly to the fans, for better or for worse. Privacy Policy the Côte d’Azur was one of the favourite destinations of the British aristocracy who would spend the winter months there for its mild climate and comforting light winter on the Côte d’Azur is also a period filled with festive and traditional events several sport events liven up the Côte d’Azur and gather the fittest of the winter’s athletes Let’s begin with the Marathon des Alpes-Maritimes and which is without a doubt one of the most beautiful race itineraries in the world: from Nice the runners go along the seafront to Cannes for practically the whole race keen runners are once again gathered for the Mougins Urban Trail It’s actually more trail than urban as the itinerary leaves from the middle of the village and takes the runners along the surrounding paths for a race in the countryside Nice also makes a date with cycling fans to see the road cycling names on the Promenade des Anglais winter on the Côte d’Azur also means the Meeting d’Hiver for horse racing fans the Cagnes-sur-Mer race course brings together trotting and galloping aces with applause from the tribunes in a sporting and festive atmosphere head for Saint-Paul-de-Vence to get up high for the Festival de la Montagne workshops… for a weekend full of activities on the theme of mountains Among the joyful and most emblematic events on the Côte d’Azur are the Carnaval de Nice and the Fête du Citron de Menton The carnival is the biggest in France and one of the most famous in the world and it brings together hundreds of thousands of visitors who take part in the Carnival parades and flower fights and also admire the floats and the burlesque shows the Carnaval de Nice programme has also integrated the Queernaval and is now the first gay carnival in France the Fête du Citron is in full swing in Menton It’s a great opportunity to see fruity parades with impressive floats bearing sculptures made entirely of lemons there’s another tradition with an invitation in February: the Combat Naval Fleuri On their “pointus” (little boats) decorated with mimosa and carnations the traditionally-dressed fishermen have a spectacular and even include the public in this floral folly the Fête de la Saint-Patrick in Mougins is also an emblematic event of this winter period local breweries help you discover their beers concerts and food trucks so you can eat before you go dancing At the end of the autumn and the beginning of winter the Festival Coul’Heures d’Automne invites you to discover urban art along the streets of Antibes-Juan-les-Pins you can attend impressive mural performances meet artists and rediscover the public space from another point of view video is in the limelight with the Festival OVNi A festival devoted to contemporary video creation and which has strongly influenced the emergence of budding artists in the Sud region Taking place in many cultural venues in Nice the Festival OVNi stands out with its itinerary of exhibitions in the town’s hotels The public is then invited to visit the historic hotel rooms where the works are disseminated Avis music lovers: November in Nice is also festival time C’est pas Classique proposes free concerts and an eclectic programme to make classical music  accessible to all From the beginning of December to the beginning of January enjoy the magic of Christmas in the towns of Nice they also celebrate Saint-Nicolas which marks the start of this month of festivities it’s an opportunity to leave their letter for Father Christmas the end of the year festivities is also the period for the Marché de la Truffe (truffle market) which takes place at the end of December and invites gourmets and foodies to tastings and regional products Christie’s is delighted to present A Collecting Odyssey: Property from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art the private collection of Christian Levett Offered across five sales from December 2023 to December 2024 the works of art have been the nucleus of the beloved Mougins Museum of Classical Art in the South of France since its foundation in 2011 and a Roman marble male torso at £403,200 The collecting odyssey continued with Arms and Armour from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art, Part I on 30 January 2024 Comprising 36 lots from the world’s largest private collection of ancient arms and armour from across the Mediterranean world the auction was 100% sold with a total of $6.5 million against a low estimate of $3.4 million The odyssey continues in December in London where there will be two sales - Antiquities from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art and Works of Art from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art View all upcoming lots in Christie’s auctions and private sale works to buy now Christie’s can guide you through the entire auction process Once we have determined that your property is appropriate for sale at auction FDN / Politics / Government / “France killed my husband” Funeral of gendarme killed after resisting arrest (capture LCI) She continues: “When will our legislators open their eyes Do they have to be directly affected to act How many deaths will there be before these murderers are truly punished,” she continues before asserting: ‘1981 should never have existed’ (in other words the abolition of the death penalty should never have "Je remercie notre France d'avoir tué mon tendre époux. La France a tué mon mari par son insuffisance, son laxisme et son excès de tolérance" : la veuve d'Eric Comyn s'exprime ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/wfDigRdW0Y — LCI (@LCI) August 28, 2024 Eric Comyn’s widow continued her accusation: “What next for this murderer where pensioners who have contributed all their lives from their work potentially have to work again to get three hot meals a day Then the sentence is reduced for good behavior ⚠️🚨[Document Frontières] : voici la vidéo du refus d’obtempérer à Mougins qui a conduit au meurtre du gendarme Eric Comyn. pic.twitter.com/p7zptqkrid — Frontières (@Frontieresmedia) August 28, 2024 Hommage à Éric Comyn, gendarme tué lors d'un refus d’obtempérer, sur l’autoroute A8 à hauteur de #Mougins L'adjudant Éric Comyn était âgé de 54 ans, marié et père de deux enfants de 16 et 12 ans. pic.twitter.com/2C3qB9eQ5R — 36quaidesorfevres (@36_qdo) August 27, 2024 Menu.page-165734942{--slot3:#ffffff;--slot4:#1f7c1d;--slot6:#ffffff;--slot7:#1f7c1d;--slot10:#ffffff;--slot11:#1f7c1d;--slot13:#1f7c1d;--slot14:#1f7c1d;--metaColor:#1f7c1d;--navColor:#1f7c1d}(Travel) The popular French Riviera village of Saint-Tropez is famous for its beach clubs, nightlife, and glitzy ambiance that has long lured well-heeled jet setters. And, certainly, most people are familiar with Cannes, the resort city put on the map by the glamorous film festival that brings droves of celebrities strutting down the red carpet each year Fans of luxury fragrance — the iconic Chanel No and Hermès to name a few — have likely heard of Grasse where precious May roses and jasmine bloom This enchanting hilltop village doesn’t have the same widespread international notoriety as the aforementioned tourist hubs — though I wouldn’t classify it as a secret because it’s quite beloved within France Before my visit in June, I didn’t know much about Mougins. Having had the pleasure of visiting, it’s definitely a place I would highly recommend adding to any Provence itinerary. “You go to Mougins for the art, the history, the architecture, the food, but also for your own inspiration. There is a certain magic in the air,” says Oliver Blacklay, head of leisure at luxury travel company Black Tomato “It’s really unusual and singular in that part of France in that it’s neatly tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the coast yet hugely accessible.” Located about 15 minutes inland from Cannes Mougins is an easy day trip from most of the big-name Côte d'Azur destinations travelers typically hit it still retains an off-the-beaten-path appeal in many ways It’s quiet — not bustling with giant tour buses that I doubt could even fit on the narrow streets leading to town — and that definitely preserves the hidden-gem sort of feel it’s very atmospheric and welcoming of tourists @VilledeMouginsSo what makes this town so special “It has a deep historic background beginning in the Roman Empire and the village was fortified in the Middle Ages These crumbling walls and ramparts still stand today including the Porte Sarrazine.” The medieval ruins add to the picturesque scenery which brought many notable artists to the area Pablo Picasso spent over a decade of his life in Mougins and is credited with starting its artistic legacy Edith Piaf and Christian Dior also fell for its charms it’s an eyeful of these rolling hillsides and homes that appear to be floating a collection of larger-than-life fruit sculptures caught my attention The giant works of art look even more magical set against a backdrop of greenery and stone facades It might be tempting to post up near an oversized bronze-cast Picasso head by Gabriël Sterk and just soak in the stunning vistas and gawk at the sculptures I implore you to venture further into the snail-shaped medieval center It was built that way ages ago to defend against invaders the cobbled alleys of the vieux village house many boutique shops @VilledeMouginsHungry travelers don’t have to look far to find something delicious to devour. Mougins has major epicurean cred. Foodies know about it because of the world-class dining and the annual food festival Les Etoiles de Mougins (more on that below) it’s super impressive that there are three Michelin-rated restaurants Keen to taste the traditional flavors of Provence? Head to L'Amandier de Mougins a culinary force that was founded in 1969 by legendary French chef Roger Vergé (who sadly died 17 years ago) I’d recommend reserving a table on the second-floor terrace so you can enjoy perfectly cooked fish and a crisp local rosé while staring at cinematic panoramas of the countryside It also comes with the benefit of getting to ascend the grand spiral staircase and pass through the entirety of the elegant interiors Set on the lovely village square, La Place de Mougins gives guests a very elevated gourmet experience Chef Denis Fétisson rolls out an ever-changing coursed menu of dishes that highlights seasonal ingredients that might look like a fresh-shucked oyster topped with caviar and then smoked black Angus or asparagus with bottarga The wine pairing is a splendid accompaniment Le Clos St-Basile stands out as a place that you will also want to return to many times over It’s warm and inviting with major gastronomic chops It’s easy to fall in love with the classic pigeon pithiviers — and show me a person who doesn’t love grated truffles on pasta but the French country-chic indoor dining area certainly doesn’t disappoint either which began in 2006 as a way to honor Roger Vergé draws superstar chefs and culinary giants from around the world and conferences that explore food from all angles are currently open and welcoming guests with warm Provencale hospitality it might b e time to start planning your travels for 2023 and Mougins definitely deserves a top spot on your bucket list This article was originally published on Oct Synonymous with France’s legendary lifestyle and good taste the Côte d’Azur is a shopper’s paradise overflowing with department stores and vast malls… One of them has even earned the title of “World’s Best Shopping Centre” Dive in for our insider’s guide into the top addresses for a Riviera shopping spree Combining shopping and the magic of the Côte d’Azur, Polygone Riviera in Cagnes-sur-Mer is a unique open-air mall for the promise of a 100% South of France shopping experience There’s something to bring a smile to every face here with no less than 150 fashion and premium stores awaiting you with open arms But that’s not all: Polygone Riviera was also designed as a hub of contemporary art and inspiration Keep your eyes peeled… Works by 11 artists including Ben are Daniel Buren are dotted around here and there artist Sacha Sosno‘s astonishing sculpture “The Watcher” surveys your spree Polygone Riviera remains a delightful living space inspired by Mediterranean villages and divided into 4 quarters: home decor and nature eateries and entertainment with a multiplex cinema an iconic brand and trends quarter and a Designer Gallery Welcome to the Côte d’Azur’s biggest shopping mall! And it’s no exaggeration: located in Saint-Laurent du Var Cap 3000 harbours over 230 stores and 42 restaurants This XXL mall features a multitude of terraces and glass apertures gazing out over the Med and coast for a delightful seaside shopping extravaganza before or after a dip and stroll along the Landsberg and Cousteau promenades The mall opened its doors in 1969 and has evolved with the times ever since featuring 40 boutiques dedicated to the world of luxury Cap 3000 was voted “World’s Best Shopping Centre” at the MIPIM Awards A place synonymous with happy days… Located in Villeneuve-Loubet the Pôle Marina 7 lies along the former Nationale 7 – the mythical South of France holiday route in the Fifties and Sixties It’s easy to spot thanks to its red and white milestones from the Rives roundabout to Plage de Vaugrenier beach it boasts dozens of stores for every taste men’s and children’s fashion to furniture home appliances and sport… If you fancy a sweet or savoury interlude you’ll find around ten places to grab a snack the mall isn’t just a shopper’s paradise: people flock there to work out at one of the gyms or relax at a hair salon or beauty parlour Pôle Marina 7 is a genuine lifestyle hub and Côte d’Azur meeting place: its shops rub shoulders with dozens of local businesses A Côte d’Azur hilltop village famed for its picturesque centre (old stone fountains the village is a must-do hotspot for fashionistas and people seeking a trendy gift guaranteed to hit the spot Set down from the historic heart of the village the brand new Cœur de Mougins quarter features around twenty fashion plus a wonderful delicatessen and chocolate maker The Cour des Arts forms the epicentre of this new quarter resembling a little village unto itself – a delightfully airy courtyard where you can sip a refreshing drink on a café terrace Coeur de Mougins also offers a world-unique movie-going experience at Les Balcons de Mougins comfortably seated in one of the lodges of the immersive Ōma room A shopping spree-come-voyage to the future It’s a place synonymous with happy days the Pôle Marina 7 is located on the ex-nationale 7 the legendary holiday route of the 1950s and 1960s the brand-new Cœur de Mougins district boasts around twenty fashion and interior design boutiques (home and garden) Les Balcons de Mougins cinema is a must-visit for film buffs on the French Riviera ShareWhy Christian Levett is selling a museum-full of artThe British collector says he is ending one ‘period of fanaticism’ and beginning another Having closed his award-winning Mougins Museum of Classical Art he is offering much of its contents — from marble busts and Roman helmets to works by Damien Hirst and Andy Warhol — across six sales at Christie’s following Levett’s acquisition — and painstaking transformation — of a former mill in the French village of Mougins ‘I’m sad to be saying goodbye [to MACM] but it was an incredible pleasure to have something so special — and its closure will offer others an incredible opportunity of their own.’ Levett’s collecting interests have evolved into post-war and contemporary work by female artists — notably Abstract Expressionists — and in June 2024 he will repurpose the space previously occupied by MACM to open the Femmes Artistes du Musée de Mougins (FAMM) This will be Europe’s first major museum dedicated solely to women artists Christian Levett at the Mougins Museum of Classic Art, whose closure, he says, ‘will offer others an incredible opportunity of their own’ The name of the original museum only tells part of its story. The exhibits didn’t consist solely of classical antiquities, but also of artworks from recent centuries showing a classical inspiration. MACM received as much praise for the way it juxtaposed pieces from different ages as it did for the pieces themselves. Classical and Egyptian vases, coins, sculptures and jewellery could be viewed alongside works by the likes of Rubens, Rodin, Picasso and Warhol. ‘Ancient meets modern’ were Levett’s watchwords, and the approach brought him critical and popular acclaim. MACM was named Apollo magazine’s ‘New Museum of the Year’ in 2011, and it ended up welcoming a quarter of a million visitors. (To put that figure in context, the population of Mougins is just 19,000.) ‘I think people enjoyed seeing pieces talk to each other across millennia,’ says Levett. ‘The museum was a jigsaw puzzle of connections. It never ceases to impress me just how many artists from the Renaissance onwards created works with classical themes.’ One such artist is Damien Hirst, whose arresting sculpture, The Severed Head of Medusa (2013), is being offered on 7 December 2023 in Ancient to Modern Art from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art, Part I which kicks off the suite of sales spanning London and New York it depicts the snake-haired head of the Greek mythological monster She’s caught in an expression of eternal fury shortly after her decapitation by the hero Perseus and there’s a gaping hole where her right cheek should be No longer will a look from her turn any man to stone Levett purchased the piece during its showing at Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable Hirst’s 2017 exhibition at the Pinault Collection in Venice Being offered in the same sale is a head of a different kind: a marble portrait from the 1st century A.D. of the Roman Emperor Augustus. He is portrayed with a rounded face, pursed, bow-shaped lips, and hair composed of a mass of comma-shaped locks. The piece was unearthed in France in the 1880s and would originally have been intended to glorify Augustus at a time when Gaul was part of the Roman empire. A monumental Roman marble portrait head of the Emperor Augustus, Julio-Claudian period, circa early 1st century A.D. 16⅛ in (41 cm) high. Sold for £378,000 on 7 December 2023 at Christie’s in London A monumental Roman marble portrait bust of the Emperor Lucius Verus, Antonine period, late 2nd century A.D. 38 in (96.5 cm) high. Offered in Ancient to Modern Art from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art, Part I on 7 December 2023 at Christie’s in London Another stunning piece from the sale is a marble portrait bust of the later Roman Emperor Lucius Verus. In a conspicuous play of light and shadow, the 2nd century A.D. ruler is depicted with thick hair, which rises vertically from his head and falls from his beard in luxurious, haphazard curls. Levett was born in the English town of Southend-on-Sea in 1970. His father had served in the army against Communist forces in the Malayan Emergency of the 1950s. Seeing his medals, and hearing his tales, generated in young Christian an interest in all things military. This also manifested itself in a love of making Airfix models of fighter planes and watching war movies. ‘When a shop opened near our house selling medals, that’s where I’d spend my pocket money,’ says Levett. He was only seven or eight years old at the time, and already his collecting journey had begun. Grayson Perry (b. 1960), A Classical Compromise, 1989. Glazed earthenware. 17⅜ in (44 cm) high. Sold for £37,800 on 7 December 2023 at Christie’s in London An Attic red-figured neck-amphora, attributed to the painter of the Louvre Centauromachy, circa 440-430 B.C. 13¾ in (35 cm) high. Sold for £151,200 on 7 December 2023 at Christie’s in London Along with campaign medals from the First and Second World Wars, he soon took to acquiring Victorian coins, too. It was as a commodities trader in Paris in the early 1990s that Levett turned to art. He would visit the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay every Sunday, often with friends or dates, but also on his own. ‘That was my artistic education,’ he says. ‘I also started reading art books around then, before deciding I wanted to collect some works of my own.’ Levett duly began buying Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and modern drawings, as well as hand-painted natural history books. After he moved to London in 2002, the focus of his collecting shifted again, and he entered what he calls his ‘next period of fanaticism’. Purely out of curiosity, he ticked the box marked ‘Antiquities’ one day on an auction-house catalogue-request form — and soon found himself diving headlong into the ancient world. A Roman marble group statue of Bacchus, a satyr, Pan and Cupid, circa early 3rd century A.D. 26⅝ in (67.5 cm) high. Offered in Ancient to Modern Art from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art, Part I on 7 December 2023 at Christie’s in London He began to buy avidly from galleries and at auctions. One of the standout works he acquired was a Roman marble group sculpture of Bacchus, a satyr, Pan and Cupid who smilingly holds a bunch of grapes in one hand and a cornucopia in the other The deity was associated with winemaking and pleasure, and his revelrous spirit infuses two of the modern works being offered at Christie’s: Bacchanale (1964), a gouache by Marc Chagall; and Scène bacchique au minotaure, a 1933 etching by Picasso. Francis Picabia (1879-1953), Sans titre (Garçon à la cruche), 1935. Oil on canvas. 28¾ x 36¼ in (73.2 x 92 cm). Offered in Ancient to Modern Art from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art, Part I on 7 December 2023 at Christie’s in London Levett’s fondness for classical antiquity extended to collecting art of recent times with a classical inspiration He ended up with more than enough pieces to fill a museum (MACM would display 800 works across four floors) Picasso (who spent his final 12 years in the village) that Levett’s collection of antiquities comprised more than artworks In keeping with his boyhood love of military history backplates and swords that they eventually amounted to the world’s largest private collection of ancient arms and armour The highlights occupied MACM’s entire top floor, notwithstanding the fact that pieces were regularly lent to other institutions — a notable example being the Guttmann Mouse Helmet, which was loaned for five years to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (where Levett is a member of the visiting committee for arms and armour). The Guttmann Mouse Helmet: an important Roman iron, brass and copper helmet for Julius Mansuetus, together with a dolabra, Antonine period, circa 125-175 A.D. Helmet: 9½ in (24 cm) high; 18½ in (47 cm) wide. Offered in Arms and Armour from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art, Part I on 30 January 2024 at Christie’s in New York This exceptionally well-preserved iron helmet with copper-alloy adjuncts bears an inscription on the neck-guard naming its owner: an infantry officer called Julius Mansuetus The back of the dome — in a highly unusual perhaps devotional motif — is decorated with two small mice each pursuing what appears to be a loaf of bread Levett calls this ‘one of the great ancient helmets’, and it will be the top lot at the second sale of works from MACM: Arms and Armour from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art, Part I in New York on 30 January 2024 a German industrialist whose famed collection of ancient arms and armour was sold off through several auctions following his death in 2002 (with a significant number of his pieces ending up at MACM) Christie’s Online Magazine delivers our best features Levett retired from the world of commodities in 2016 to devote himself full-time to art and antiquities he has been engaged in a range of philanthropic ventures from sponsoring academic scholarships (at institutions such as the Ruskin School of Art at the University of Oxford) to funding archaeological digs (for example at Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli As for the upcoming sales at Christie’s Levett says he is ‘excited for the next chapter The focus of my collecting has always changed periodically and I hope others will enjoy the classical works just as much as I did.’ 1 to 15 December 2023 at Christie’s in London which could sell for as much as $1.5m at auction next year in New York A collection of objects from the recently-closed Mougins Museum of Classical Art in the south of France—including what has been described as the world’s largest privately-owned collection of ancient arms and armour—is estimated to bring £22m at Christie’s over the course of a year as the private institution shifts focus to become what is said to be "the first museum in Europe dedicated to women artists" In August, founder and owner Christian Levett, a former commodities trader, announced plans to briefly close the museum after 12 years in order to rebrand it as the Femmes Artistes du Musée de Mougins (FAMM) and to switch out the existing collection of largely classical art to work by women artists which Levett has focused on acquiring over the past few years Christie’s will auction much of Levett’s collection once held in the Mougins museum across six sales in London and New York trans-Atlantic auction dedicated to ancient arms and armour Levett says he decided to sell much of the works previously on display at the museum partly out of a desire to see them continue to be available for the public Pan and Eros from around the third century AD could sell for as much as £500,000 in December “The classical art collection would have ended up in storage which is a bit of a shame for many pieces that have now been on display publicly for 12 years,” Levett says “It's not a collection that you can just simply put back in storage and forget about Hopefully a number of the buyers will be institutions and museums.” Damien Hirst's The Severed Head of Medusa (2013) © Mougins Museum of Classical Art “People forget that when you look at a Roman marble for example, you are looking at something that somebody's sculpted, as well as a piece of history. People tend to look at antiquities as pieces of history, but they're also artworks,” Levett says. “Even with some of the arms and armour, they have an artistry to them. So to me it was the ultimate to collect and own these kinds of historical and incredibly, beautifully made pieces.” Two more in-person auctions will follow in late 2024: a sale of classical art in New York in October, and an arms and armour sale scheduled for London in December. Two online sales are also planned for October and December, respectively, according to Christie’s. Levett will use the £22m the collection is expected to fetch over the course of a year for buying more works by women artists for the retooled museum in Mougins, which is tentatively scheduled to open in June 2024, he says. His collection already includes works by artists like Joan Mitchell, Helen Frankenthaler, Grace Hartigan, Elaine de Kooning, Louise Bourgeois, Tracey Emin and Cecily Brown. Levett says he’s interested in expanding his collection of French Impressionism and Surrealism. “I still love antiquities and classical artworks," Levettsays. "It’s a bittersweet moment to change the museum around, but I just can't leave such an important collection in storage. It would be kind of sacrilege." but the most talked-about is a conceptual still life by Maurizio Cattelan news16 August 2023Europe's 'first museum dedicated to art by women artists' to open in southern FranceFormer trader Christian Levett's rebranded institution will present works by Joan Mitchell Howardena Pindell and Cecily Brown among others news30 July 2020Christies winds up belated summer auction season with £21.2m Classic Art sale led by £4m Rubens16th century Italian marble attributed to Antonio Lombardo steals the show but auction house's digital face is showing its age against stiff competition news30 March 2023Paintings by Ed Ruscha, Philip Guston and others from major Chicago collection headed to auction at Christie’sA group of paintings and works on paper from the collection of Alan and Dorothy Press is estimated to fetch more than $50m across multiple sales in New York this spring the premium auditorium concept created by renowned French architect Pierre Chican will launch a new location in exhibitor Cinewest’s new cinema complex in Mougins The cinema, to be opened later this year, marks the first Ōma location in France; in April of this year, a deal was announced to bring Ōma to India by way of PVR INOX Inspired by the design and ambiance of traditional theaters Ōma introduces “pods,” a proprietary seating concept that uses a series of tiered balconies to bring audiences closer to the screen “This is a milestone event for Ōma Cinema We are thrilled to form this partnership with Cinewest and bring the Ōma experience to Mougins at this special location in the heights of Cannes” said Pierre Chican “We believe that Cinewest’s vision for movie theaters aligns with our own and we look forward to a long-term relationship.” “We are honored to be opening the first Ōma theater in France This cinema will become a global flagship location for the company” said Daniel Thailandier “We can’t wait to bring this unique cinema experience to Mougins and beyond.” Fandango and Imax have announced a partnership with Blast which creates live and digital esports experiences to bring the Fortnite Championship Pro-Am 2025 to select Imax screens at AMC Theatres across the United States on May 10 Pictures’ critical and commercial hit Sinners will be re-released in nine select IMAX 70mm theaters across North America Tickets are on sale now for screenings taking place from Thursday Tickets are on sale now for Academy Award-winning director Hayao Miyazaki’s Kiki’s Delivery Service—the beloved coming-of-age story of a resourceful young witch who uses her broom to create a delivery service The film returns to theaters this May for five.. Following its February kickoff in Seoul and spanning across North America and Asia has entertained audiences in 15 regions with 31 concerts The grand finale of the tour will be broadcast.. The Mougins Museum of Classical Art will become the Femmes Artistes du Musée de Mougins in spring 2024 Former commodities trader Christian Levett has announced plans to convert his antiquities museum in the south of France into “the first museum in Europe dedicated to art by women artists” Levett’s Mougins Museum of Classical Art will close at the end of this month and reopen with its new focus in June next year the founder and owner of the Mougins Museum of Classical Art closing it as a classical art museum on 31 August 2023 and reopening [it] as an exhibition museum in spring 2024 displaying rotating shows of Modern and contemporary art,” says a statement on the museum website The museum will be rebranded as the Femmes Artistes du Musée de Mougins almost 250,000 people have visited his museum in Mougins since it opened in 2011 According to the Sunday Times Rich List 2020, as of that year Levett was worth £222m “The first picture that I bought in Paris was in 1995—a painting of a fire scene in Delft created in the 1600s by a Dutch artist called Egbert van de Poele; I paid 100,000 French francs for it It sort of went on from there,” Levett told He hoovered up works by 20th-century women artists, subsequently loaning numerous paintings to the Whitechapel Gallery in London for its recent exhibition Action, Gesture, Paint: Women Artists and Global Abstraction 1940-1970, which is currently at the Fondation Vincent van Gogh in Arles (until 22 October) Levett is also sponsoring an exhibition of works by the UK artists Flora Yukhnovich and Daniel Crews-Chubb at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford (until 14 January 2024). Levett wrote on Instagram: “Incredibly happy for Daniel whose career we nurtured at [Vigo Gallery in London] when I was the financing partner there from 2012-2018.” Levett also has a house in Florence, Italy, which, according to Lampoon magazine, comprises “two floors full of works of art, mainly by British or American painters. A characteristic aspect of this collection is that every painting in Levett’s Florentine home is by a female artist.” Ōma Cinema has opened its doors at a Cinewest location in Mougins promising a one-of-a-kind viewing experience for moviegoers Inspired by traditional Italian opera house balconies and futuristic sci-fi layouts Ōma Cinema features innovative architecture that sets it apart from traditional cinemas incorporates circular seating pods as part of a premium auditorium concept The patented concept’s ‘vertical’ seating structure is designed to concentrate seating pods in the optimal viewing area moving the traditional ‘first row’ seats further back in the theatre and the ‘back row’ seats closer to the screen This approach aims to both improve viewing angles and create a more immersive experience for viewers “We wanted to bring something different and offer viewers something special as part of a premium in-person visit which couldn’t be replicated at home,” says Nicolas Chican “We saw a lack of evolution in cinema design in recent decades and felt that architecture could be a powerful tool to deliver something unique.” The Ōma concept is fully customizable and available for rollout to other screens across the globe either to renovate existing theatres or in new builds The first official screening at the 160 seat Ōma Cinema auditorium in Mougins took place on 24 April Celluloid Junkie is the leading online resource dedicated to the global film and cinema business Join a growing community of film and cinema industry professionals from around the world who rely on CJ to provide the latest news and research on the motion picture industry Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time Themed open-air exhibitions pop up in northern spring and summer The countryside of Provence is the stuff of daydreams: rolling fields of vines and lavender punctuated every so often by a rocky outcrop crowned by a timeless-looking town or village One such place is Mougins and strolling through this idyllic Provencal escape shortly after breakfast I'm pleasantly surprised to have it virtually all to myself sleepy cobbled alleys curl up the hill like a snail's shell winding past low-rise buildings with rough-stone and peach and yellow hued facades potted plants and flower-dressed balconies spark thoughts of an alternative life; one where I'm capturing Provence it became a creative hotbed in the 20th century Picasso's over-sized head - cast in bronze by Dutch sculptor Gabriel Sterk on Place des Patriotes - is the most eye-popping of the village's outdoor sculptures Also attracting glances are a Cubist-style man by the fountain on the restaurant-fringed Place du Commandant Lamy and a head-less curvaceous female on pretty Place du Lieutenant Isnard Picasso's over-sized head - cast in bronze by Dutch sculptor Gabriel Sterk on Place des Patriotes - is the most eye-popping of the village's outdoor sculptures.Credit: Alamy I discover the zesty installations of septuagenarian Italian artist Giuseppe Carta He's hewn giant chillies in the colours of the French flag and massive grapes pomegranates and other fruits and vegetables Lemon sculptures are placed by the village's medieval church and beneath Porte Sarrazine - a remnant of Mougins' old fortifications villagers would pour boiling olive oil over Saracen raiders from the top of this arched gateway A mix of ancient and modern art pulls visitors to MACM (Mougins Museum of Classical Art) Founded by retired investment manager and lifelong collector Christian Levett They're joined by classically-inspired paintings drawings and sculptures by a who's who of more contemporary talent The nearby Mougins Centre of Photography promotes established and emerging artists and the village's few dozen other galleries and working studios also warrant a peek Myriad genres are showcased: Provencal scenery avant-garde pieces with a Picasso-esque twist and even Australian Aboriginal art (at the Red Dunes Gallery) You might see resident artists - hailing from France and overseas - oil-painting curating collections and gift-wrapping items for customers It's worth venturing beyond Mougins' tiny historic core especially when it begins swelling with day-trippers A short drive or a 30-minute ramble via undulating country lanes and tree-shaded canal-side paths (with a summer soundtrack of trilling cicadas) this stone hilltop chapel - once painted by Winston Churchill - has a free exhibition featuring black-and-white photographs of Picasso who lived in the house next door for the last 12 years of his life Mougins' lush surrounds are on view from the chapel's upper levels lavender and roses scent the air as I continue my walk (Mougins has been a prolific flower producer supplying the perfumeries of nearby Grasse) a leafy nature reserve close to the chapel I pause by a large pond smothered in lotuses Le Manoir de L'Etang is a 19th-century manor house; now a boutique hotel with a restaurant serving seasonal dishes - artfully-presented Gastronomy is another craft that Mougins excels in boasting almost as many revered eateries as galleries The legendary French chef Roger Verge lured the Michelin inspectors here in the 1970s and one of his former restaurants still ranks among the village's finest gourmet destinations when chefs and foodies from across the world will gather in moreish Mougins Emirates fly to Nice from Sydney and Melbourne via Dubai (emirates.com.au) Mougins is 30 minutes by taxi from the airport You can also travel here by public bus from Cannes traveller.com.au/france mouginstourisme.com www.france.fr/fr Steve McKenna travelled at his own expense Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now I'm pleasantly surprised to have it virtually all to myself sleepy cobbled alleys curl up the hill like a snail's shell spark thoughts of an alternative life; one where I'm capturing Provence Picasso's over-sized head - cast in bronze by Dutch sculptor Gabriel Sterk on Place des Patriotes - is the most eye-popping of the village's outdoor sculptures He's hewn giant chillies in the colours of the French flag and massive grapes Lemon sculptures are placed by the village's medieval church and beneath Porte Sarrazine - a remnant of Mougins' old fortifications They're joined by classically-inspired paintings drawings and sculptures by a who's who of more contemporary talent and the village's few dozen other galleries and working studios also warrant a peek It's worth venturing beyond Mougins' tiny historic core Mougins' lush surrounds are on view from the chapel's upper levels Le Manoir de L'Etang is a 19th-century manor house; now a boutique hotel with a restaurant serving seasonal dishes - artfully-presented still ranks among the village's finest gourmet destinations Emirates fly to Nice from Sydney and Melbourne via Dubai () It is a law of real estate that any quarter deemed bohemian is a step away from becoming intensely desirable and valuable and to the fury of his hotel's owner painted on the walls of his room spent the last 12 years of his life in Mougins compact buildings wound tightly into defensive circuits of curving streets – finds itself suffused with wealth Mougins offers more cultured pleasures than that sometimes tawdry place while still gathering some of its stardust It has been popular with Winston Churchill and is famous for its restaurants; there's even an annual festival of gastronomy The town is also packed with art galleries – not all as good as its restaurants from picturesque landscapes to teeth-grating conceptual installations On the town's edge the five-star Le Mas Candille hotel spreads over green slopes towards an exceptional view designed to serve the pleasures of a certain kind of international moneyed class a 41-year-old investment manager whose company Clive Capital once lost $400m in a week yet seemed to shrug off the loss as if it were a coin dropped in the gutter that he was "financially very successful at a young age" and by his early 30s "had established several homes" He has also been an avid collector ever since His greatest passion is now classical antiquities The bustling town of Mougins boasts many art galleries Photograph: niceartphoto/AlamyLevett has strong connections with Mougins where he owns two of the finest and most famous restaurants both recently revamped under the direction of chef Denis Fétisson (previously of the Michelin two-star Le Cheval Blanc in Courchevel) La Place offers a richly extravagant tasting menu of foiegras prawns and pigeon for ¤75 a head; L'Amandier a white-walled former almond mill with terraces commanding the view towards the perfume-making town of Grasse "It is a blessing for Mougins that Levett has fallen in love with it," says a young local adding that "he might own the whole village one day" His collaborator on the project has been Mark Merrony an archaeologist who became editor of the art and archaeology magazine Minerva which Levett now owns; he remains editor-in-chief of the magazine but most of his energies have recently gone into the museum Among its many busts and statues the collection includes the Cobham Hall Hadrian bought at Christie's for $900,000 in 2008; there are vases and an array described as the world's "largest private collection of ancient armour" including a helmet dented with a blow that was probably fatal to its wearer There are also works by old masters and modern artists Damien Hirst and Antony Gormley – intended to show the continuity of classical themes into the present "These themes have been in the human psyche for 2,500 years," says Merrony "That's the hardest thing to understand about humanity: the psyche." Andy Warhol's Birth of Venus is on display at the museum Photograph: The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts / Artists Rights Society (ARS) is packed into a plain medieval townhouse refurbished by the locally based architect David Price The exhibits are lit against a dark background with ranks of busts confronting you almost as soon as you enter As the lift and stairs take up a quarter of the total floor area so you can see exhibits when you are riding in it the Egyptian objects arranged in a tomb-like basement The modern works are dotted about the ancient objects to create contrasts and parallels that are striking but the sudden appearance of in contrast with the rugged stone exterior with pieces that sometimes seem too perfect to be true The collecting of antiquities has been a fraught subject in recent decades with institutions such as the Getty Museum being forced to give back objects of dubious origin and Merrony is very clear that establishing clear provenance and authenticity "is the most important thing" A personal collection made into a museum is a recurring theme in western cities – the Isabella Stewart Gardner in Boston the Soane and the Wallace Collection in London The Mougins Museum is not quite equal to this august company but it still has the appeal of a private hoard made public: the individual taste of the collector and the surprise at finding exceptional things in an unexpected place It is unusual to find a place of old-fashioned patronage newly minted The Mougins Museum of Classical ArtThe Mougins Museum is also an addition to the art trail along the Côte d'Azur where artists' discovery of the delights of the region has been honoured by permanent structures Where once Parisian painters and sculptors might have happened on a place as a spot for a weekend trip or to rent a cheap studio for a few months from stained glass to water stoup to priest's vestments Personally I find this work a lzvittle insipid and too pious but I know Matisse-lovers who rave about it and he himself said that he considered it his masterpiece centred on a series of portraits of Picasso where you can find a collection of sculptures and paintings by artists including Calder They stand amid pines on a high breezy spot with a 1964 building by the Catalan architect Josep Lluís Sert Sert's building – a plain structure made festive with a pink-brick and white-concrete colour scheme and sunshades in the shape of upside-down barrel vaults – slips in among the trees making outdoor terraces where the art sits easily between buildings and nature If your idea of rural France is plain peasant life expressed in buildings and cuisine – leaving aside how far this now exists anywhere – then Mougins and its surroundings are not for you They are too much infiltrated by the values of Bond Street or of Rodeo Drive It is rather a place where extraordinary beauty combines with ostentation and exploitation and considerable skill in serving the senses It can be enjoyed for those beauties and delights while also exerting a certain Ballardian fascination for its extremes and incongruities this is a part of what the modern world is This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025 The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt La Cote D'Azur is a global reference for luxurious tourism and beautiful landscapes The French Riviera is replete with beautiful Mediterranean villages a reputation that's turned the region into one of the most visited in the world In the heart of the Riviera, just fifteen minutes away from Cannes, and eight kilometres from Grasse — France's city of perfumes — stands charming Mougins a village in a privileged location between the sea and the mountains The Mediterranean town is famous for being the city of choice of many celebrities and famous artists Mougins has transformed into a capital of gastronomy and the art of living into the home of prestigious establishments that offer ultimate refinement and serenity to a demanding clientele It should not come as a surprise that Mougins was selected as the base for Les Etoiles de Mougins an international festival of gastronomy and lifestyle launched in 2006 in tribute to France's culinary figure Roger Vergé Thirty thousand food lovers visited Les Etoiles de Mougins the first weekend of June to share a passionate subject: food Les Etoiles de Mougins has become a reference in the world of Gastronomy it welcomes the world's greatest chefs and food aficionados More than 120 chefs took over the 13th edition of Les Etoiles de Mougins to pay tribute to the art of cuisine turning the village of Mougins into an outdoor platform for the most exquisite tastings The festival offers people who would never have the opportunity to push the doors of prestigious establishments the chance to rub shoulders with the world's greatest chefs Many activities take place during the 'gourmand' weekend Picture a cuisine atelier by the world's greatest chef with detailed descriptions of colour or a guided visit to a Provencal market by a Michelin star cook Throughout the journey is the sound of delight to the senses as you hear 'oh-la-la' the festival is an exciting opportunity to enter into the cosmos of the great purists in the universe of cuisine in the beautiful atmosphere of a Mediterranean town Les Etoiles de Mougins is yet another occasion to combine forces innovate and worship the great art of eating If there is one big lesson after a few days in Mougins Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times continuity and harmony: The keys behind Rodin Motorsport’s F3 resurgence Stromsted says winning races are his ‘main target’ ahead of return to action in Imola View all latest news HWA RACELAB driver Oliver Rasmussen takes us on a trip around Mougins in the South of France WHERE DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR HOMETOWN TO BE My hometown is called Mougins it's located in the south of France it's 15 minutes away from Cannes and around 15 minutes away from the sea “That's what I would call my hometown because I was born 10 minutes away from there and I've always lived there just like if you're in the middle of a big city but it's a little bit more rural so where you live is really quiet and you can really relax but if you need something you have everything you need within five to 10 minutes.” “In Mougins itself there is a small park where you have a lake in the middle which is really nice to just have a walk around In the old part of the city there is a museum I do have some friends which live really close by so going and seeing them for an afternoon is something I do that's most of the time that I spend at home I'm not the kind of guy who goes out and does a lot of things during the day because keeping busy doesn't really help me.” was really famous for their Michelin starred restaurants because around 20 years ago it was the city which had the most stars per inhabitants “You have some good restaurants such as La Place de Mougins which is a very famous Michelin star restaurant and there the food is excellent which we would call a 'brasserie' which is really good to have a drink or two in the old part of the city Walking around in the old part of the city is really nice one is about 40 minutes away from my home and one is an hour is up in the mountains it's called La Sarrée many drivers who come from Monaco know that track because it's the closest track to Monaco “It's also the track where I discovered karting but the other way around towards Paul Ricard That is also the track which I raced on for my first time in karting so I have lots of memories on those two tracks.” Look inside the largest private collection of ancient arms and armour in the world Arms and Armour from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art Part I offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own the most valuable helmets and militaria from the battlefields of antiquity ‘Levett bought ancient militaria in an encylopaedic way,’ says Christie’s antiquities specialist Hannah Solomon. ‘He wanted the best of every different type of Ancient Roman, Greek and Italic helmet, armour and sword — and helmets are the star of this collection. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire such an impressive variety.’ elongated almond-shaped eyes and gracefully-curving cheek-guards Named after a helmet discovered in the coastal town of Hermione on the Argolid peninsula the Hermione is the paragon of Corinthian helmets — in aesthetics and protection — and the type most frequently depicted on Greek vases and Classical sculptures and coins The offered work is a strikingly beautiful and well preserved example The Roman sheet brass helmet of the Wiesenau type, from the Flavian to Trajanic period c. 69–117 A.D., is an important historical document. Inscriptions of the owner’s name can be found on many Roman helmets, but this one features the names of four or five different owners, as well as the names of four different centurions under whom these legionnaires served, tracking its trajectory as it was passed on and reused.  The treasures of this collection testify not just to the military prowess of ancient warriors of the Mediterranean but also to their craftsmanship. ‘The crossover between military practicality and art in this sale is something to behold,’ Levett says. ‘The collection gives the words “the art of warfare” a whole new meaning.’ This collection from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art boasts the world’s best selection of Roman and Greek helmets a treasure trove of historical curiosities and spectacular design and workmanship Jana Mougin is happy to oblige with a new music video for her current single a bluegrass version of a Steve Wariner song from more than 30 years ago If I Didn’t Love You was written by Jon Vezner and Jacky Jack White the Mougins invited a good many participants from her tracking session for this song as well as one from the original Steve Warner recording Jana says that she was especially pleased that songwriter Jacky Jack White came up from Alabama to be part of the video recording “We filmed at our friend’s house and basically it was a nice gathering with many of our friends and guest musicians who played on the original Steve Wariner song 30 years ago Tod Livingston (resonator guitar) played on the track and also appeared in the video and in the video he played Dan Tyminski’s guitar part from my version Mike Scott played Ron Block’s banjo part in the video We also invited ‘the youngest generation in bluegrass,’ Wyatt Ellis who played Sierra Hull’s mandolin part on bass (on the track it’s Barry Bales) Sammy and Wyatt have been friends for a few years now Our ‘celebrity’ guests in the video are our dear friends: Doctor and guitar player Justin Reno (Don Reno’s grandson) appears as the bartender sitting with Jacky Jack White (songwriter) is journalist Nancy Posey and her husband We asked everyone to bring their wedding photos you can notice them on the coffee table.” as you enjoy the memories shared by the many folks appearing in the video If I Didn’t Love You from Jana Mougin is available now as a single from popular download and streaming services. Radio programmers can get the track from AirPlay Direct. “We bring the museum to you – and its mission to share its collection with the world can be fulfilled at any given time above and beyond the physical boundaries.” the museum envisioned MACM 4D as an educational tool that allows teachers to bring the museum directly into the classroom The software enables students to study the wide array of artworks including a selection in 3D that can be viewed in minute detail The ‘museum in your pocket’ will also make it possible to reach new audiences across the world and better serve the academics who currently study the collection MACM 4D launches on Thursday 20th October 2016 at 7pm in the Salle Georges Courteline Mougins followed by a visit to the museum itself MACM 4D will shortly be available from the Apple Store and Google Play Get the latest attractions industry
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George Olshevsky”) Much of his work was done under the pen name Dark Mark including Secondary Action Heroes of Golden Age Comics which is due out from McFarland in April 2023 His prose novel Monster in the Lost World is also slated for publication this week Mougin started reading comics at the age of 4 when his mother bought him a copy of Dell’s Mouse Mousketeers and started reading superhero comics in 1963 with Metal Men #2 and Worlds Finest Comics #135 coming to the genre shortly after the dawn of the Silver Age In a 2005 interview with First Comics Mougin explained that after working with Olshevsky on the Marvel indexes and with Murray Ward on the Official DC Index he started writing fanfiction set in the DC Multiverse and decided to create an index of all the Silver Age comics to keep the continuity straight He started with Supergirl and then moved on to Superman His next comic was the origin story of The Swordsman whom Mougin chose to write about because he was already dead Mougin had talked to Marvel Editor in Chief Tom DeFalco about doing some more writing and DeFalco said they needed backup stories for Avengers Spotlight Since Mougin had fallen behind in his Marvel reading and wasn’t up to date with continuity and others left Mougin with plenty of unanswered questions to fold into his story which was published in Avengers Spotlight #22 in 1989 Mougin wrote superhero comics for independent publishers written by Chuck Dixon and published in 1986 a satire comic published by Source Point Press in March 2021 Mougin also wrote prose stories, and his novel Monster in the Mansions, which took up the story of Frankenstein’s monster after the end of Mary Shelley’s novel, was published in 2016 by Pro Se Press. The publisher announced on its Facebook page that it will continue with plans to publish Mougin’s two followups People have been collecting helmets for thousands of years with the finest specimens either closely held or having long ago gone to museums … so when the world’s finest private collection sold at Christie’s this week it rewrote the record books with seven of the top 20 prices of all-time British collector Christian Levett spent many decades assembling his collection of arms and armor eventually creating his own museum for the collection: the Musée d'Art Classique de Mougins When the museum decided to change its focus Levett put the entire collection up for auction the helmet collection sold at a New York Christie’s auction entitled “Arms and Armour from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art The helmet became the second most expensive military helmet in history when it sold for US$1,260,000 on January 30, 2024. It is second now at auction to only the famous Crosby Garrett Roman Bronze Cavalry Parade Helmet (c. late 1st - early 2nd Century A.D.) that sold at Christie’s for GBP2,281,250 (US$3,629,469) in October 2010 Readers may find the helmet a little difficult to recognize without its cheek-guards (buccula) The buccula were not found with the helmet so it is being exhibited without them so the familiar shape of the helmet might not be initially evident As only two helmets of this type have ever been found it’s difficult to picture exactly what the helmet would have looked like in situ a master craftsman who has crafted hundreds of exact replicas of history’s helmets decided to create a copy of the famous helmet with the buccula he believed would have completed the helmet Royal Oak Armoury is a boutique quality-focused Canadian producer of replica arms and armor headed by master armorer Jeffrey Hildebrandt Hildebrandt maintains a massive reference library he has an “obsessive attention to detail (that) accounts for the notable accuracy and craftsmanship of everything that leaves our workshop.” There are images of the helmet on Royal Oak Armoury’s Facebook page and a close up examination of those images will help to convey the magnificence of the helmet in its entirety Perhaps the biggest story is the sheer magnitude of the collection and the impact it has had on a very mature marketplace Our top 20 most valuable helmets list saw seven new entrants inside a few hours and you can see from the dates on which the other most valuable helmets sold the most coveted examples don’t come to market often You can find all of the lots sold on January 30 on the Christie's web page. a spectacular property in the south of France which goes up for auction next month has a strong Irish connection Benjamin Seymour Guinness first spotted the spectacular Mas de Notre Dame de Vie property in the 1925 Situated in Mougins – a 15-minute car ride inland of Cannes on the French Riviera – the property was then a “mas” (a traditional farmhouse) but Guinness a banker and philanthropist descended from the banking arm of the Guinness family and his artist wife Bridget converted it into a luxurious villa The warm-all-year-round climate and the gorgeous light of the surrounding area soon made Mougins a desirable destination for artists both amateur and professional Winston Churchill – a good friend of Benjamin and Bridget – became a regular visitor to their Mougins home spending many a summer’s day and night sitting in their garden painting An artist of a different category altogether So taken was Picasso by Mas de Notre Dame de Vie that he eventually bought the house from Benjamin and Bridget’s son Loel Picasso lived and worked in the house until his death in 1973 The property is now going to an eagerly awaited auction on October 12th with a starting price of €23 million Hans Veenhuijsen from the R365 international real estate company is the property’s agent He says the house’s original connection with the Guinness family is not well known at all “I couldn’t find much information [about the Guinness connection] but it would be nice to show the family the property again” he says Veenhuijsen says “the interest has been huge” in the upcoming sale of Mas de Notre Dame de Vie “The interest is coming from the US – California and the New York area mainly – also from Russia The people interested are known as very wealthy.” The seclusion and the sumptuous surrounds of the property allowed Picasso to produce some of his best art He extended the ex-Guinness property gradually over the years transforming it into – as he said himself – “the home of my dreams” Mas de Notre Dame de Vie stood empty for 30 years she had left everything as it was in the house – even his reading glasses were in the same place A wealthy financier bought the house a few years ago and had the renowned interior designer Axel Vervoordt bring the house back to life while equipping it with modern amenities Using source material from the many Picasso biographies over 100 people worked for over two years restoring it to its full grandeur There was plenty to play with: 2,400sq m of floor space The eight acres of landscaped gardens – now with an infinity pool spa and hammam – have 500-year-old olive groves A guesthouse and a caretaker’s house make up the property There are two viewing days of the property: September 22nd and 29th we invite the people that have given us some financial background information or people that we know are wealthy enough to do a transaction like this” says Veenhuijsen “We expect around 20 people on the first viewing day Due to the fact that it is a foreclosure we have to show the property in groups which is not a very attractive way of showing it’s just a fact when buying a foreclosure – the circumstances are not always as you would wish.” design and music figures including Man Ray Édith Piaf and Jacques Brel over the years A big part of the appeal of this sale is also how the small town of Mougins has become a destination in itself since Picasso’s death When Benjamin and Brigid Guinness first invited Picasso to see the house in the 1930s Mougins was very much off the French Riviera map it’s a gastronomic destination and has become a popular resting place for the acting elite attending the annual Cannes film festival The Mougins Museum pays homage to the all artists who have been seduced by the area The Notre Dame de Vie chapel just beside the property was first erected in the 12th century and is now a listed historic building. The Mougins tourism website (mougins-tourisme.fr) boasts that "the whole world has come to visit" the chapel, with Charlie Chaplin and Jean Cocteau two of its many admirers. It was this chapel that Winston Churchill used to paint time and time again when staying with Benjamin and Bridget Guinness. And the Guinness connection remains through a Guinness family tomb in the chapel’s garden where both Benjamin and Bridget are buried. As the rumour mill goes into overdrive over who will be bidding for Mas de Notre Dame de Vie next month, Mougins is clearly benefiting from the publicity surrounding the sale. This tiny place has attracted art, design and music figures including Man Ray, Jean Cocteau, Yves Klein, César Baldaccini, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Édith Piaf and Jacques Brel over the years. Catherine Deneuve is also a regular visitor and Elizabeth Taylor used to host her annual AIDS gala in Mougins during the Cannes film festival. Perhaps no other small town boasts such a cultural guestbook as Mougins. And all because Benjamin and Bridget Guinness – on a car ride out of Cannes in the 1920s – fell in love with a dilapidated farmhouse that in turn seduced Pablo Picasso. Facebook pageTwitter feed© 2025 The Irish Times DAC LIFE With Picasso: Genius at Work and at Play Gjon Mili/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock pottery pieces and more why Pablo Picasso is the most famous artist of the past 100 years right up until his death in 1973 at the age of 91 many of them instantly recognizable masterpieces in a dizzying array of media and in seemingly countless styles that he himself either pioneered or perfected scores of towering 20th-century artists (Matisse But Picasso really is the face of 20th century art self-reinventing creative force whose most renowned works Old Guitarist (1903) the gorgeous harlequin paintings of his Rose Period totemic emblems of the eras in which they were made LIFE.com celebrates the Modernist master’s career with a series of pictures by photographer Gjon Mili made over roughly two decades in the middle part of the last century When the photographer showed the artist some pictures he’d made of ice skaters with tiny lights affixed to their skates the Spanish genius was intrigued and lent his own special twist to a series of portraits made with the same general technique “Picasso” LIFE magazine reported at the time “gave Mili 15 minutes to try one experiment He was so fascinated by the result that he posed for five sessions Mili took his photographs in a darkened room he caught the light streaks swirling through space.” Mili would revisit Picasso again through the years each time encountering yet another side of the man while also documenting the artwork that seemed to pour forth in an unending torrent from Picasso’s tireless imagination he found a few small metal monkeys that Picasso had fashioned LIFE described Picasso’s technique in creating these wonderful playful sculptures: “He made paper cut-outs then had the patterns transferred to sheet metal which he folded into animals with lively personalities turning his paper-thin material into surprisingly substantial works of art.” Meeting Picasso could be an overwhelming experience Hunt wrote in a 1968 special issue of the magazine devoted entirely to the artist: To see Picasso for the first time is to see And they change as you watch him talk and listen so noticeably changing with the reflections of what passes through his mind perhaps racing back into experience to enrich the present Françoise Gilot (pictured in this gallery in slides 14 and 16) and in 1964 she wrote a tell-all memoir of their time together With its less-than-flattering tales of his incessant affairs and titanic insecurities her book so angered Picasso that he spitefully refused to see their children Gilot had married another world-famous genius: American virologist Jonas Salk While hardly providing an exhaustive portrait of one of the West’s seminal creative figures the pictures in this gallery nevertheless offer an inkling of Picasso’s protean genius and an intimate look at some of the places where that genius bore such singularly influential Gjon Mili/Life Picture Colleciton/Shutterstock Interior of Picasso’s workshop at Notre-Dame-de-Vie Pablo Picasso in a room displaying his pottery work ‘Woman With Baby Carriage,’ Picasso’s workshop at Notre-Dame-de-Vie Picasso’s workshop at Notre-Dame-de-Vie Bronze replicas of Picasso’s elongated wood statuettes sit on a table in his Mougins workshop; out the window flowers and paintings surround two portraits taken by LIFE photographer David Douglas Duncan—one of the artist (left) and one of his wife Pablo Picasso’s authorization for Gjon Mili to photograph his artworks Double-exposure portrait of Pablo Picasso in his studio Travel back in time with treasured photos and stories