In the village of Graveson, at the foot of the Montagnette, the Auguste Chabaud Museum celebrates the life and work of this local artist, who became a master of the Provençal avant-garde. His powerful and bold works resonate internationally today, with a style that captured the landscapes and scenes of his time with remarkable modernity.
Born in 1882 in Nîmes, Auguste Chabaud spent his early years in Graveson, grounding his lifelong bond with this land. Trained at the Beaux-Arts in Avignon, he began a promising career in Paris, where he mingled with artists like Matisse and Derain. Balancing his life between Paris and Graveson, his career moved between the city’s creative energy and the tranquility of Provence’s landscapes. Chabaud developed a unique style, blending Fauvism and Expressionism.
The Auguste Chabaud Museum now houses an extraordinary collection showcasing the artist’s many facets through a new, previously unseen exhibition. Recently enriched by prestigious loans from museum and private collections, this collection gathers iconic works from his Paris, Africa, and Provence periods, displaying his Provençal and Parisian Fauvism, Expressionism, and even his Cubist works from the 1910s.
His early works, often painted on butcher paper, reveal rare creative audacity, while his Montmartre canvases vividly capture the vibrant nightlife of cabarets and brothels. But it was in Provence, at his family’s farmhouse, that his inspiration found its fullest expression, immortalizing the region’s arid landscapes and unique light.
More than a museum, this site is a vibrant tribute to Auguste Chabaud, a visionary artist who embraced the boldest artistic movements of his time while remaining true to his Provençal roots.
