The Grave of Germain Nouveau, Pourrières (83), Var (83)

The grave of Germain Nouveau in Pourrières, which I missed on the first visit to the town. Far in the background is the Montagne Sainte Victoire.

'Qui est mort dans la misère

Lui, de la pléiade des rois

Le plus grand poète varois

Germain Nouveau de Pourrières'

'Mélancoliquement mon esprit fait la planche'

                                             Germain Nouveau

My Germain Nouveau posts:

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The Grave of Germain Nouveau, Pourrières
Germain Nouveau in Pourrières

Germain Nouveau in Pourrières, Var (83)

5 rue Germain Nouveau, Pourrières, named after the poet who was born in the village in 1851 and who died here in 1920. He spent his childhood and adolescence in Marseilles and left for Paris in 1872. He met Mallarmé and Jean Richepin, frequented the zutistes, etc, and even, in 1874 – went to London (178 Stamford Street) with Rimbaud and helped with the manuscript of Les Illuminations. Aragon said he had a great influence on the surrealists, and considered him a great poet, equal to Rimbaud. In 1891, when teaching at the lycée Janson de Sailly, he was stricken by an attack of 'mystic madness' and was interned in the Hôpital Bicêtre for several months.  Much of his life, in fact, was spent as a kind of tramp, or pilgrim. He returned to Pourrières in 1911, where he died. Objecting to having his writings published in his lifetime, his work was essentially published posthumously.

This homage to Germain Nouveau was made by the sculptor Pierre Mathieu in 2008, and stands in the Place du château.

The village library is also named after Germain Nouveau.

My Germain Nouveau posts:

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The Grave of Germain Nouveau, Pourrières
Germain Nouveau in Pourrières

Paul Cézanne and the Montagne Sainte Victoire

Montagne Sainte Victoire taken from Pourrières today. An information board in the Place du Château claims that Paul Cézanne, whose grand-father lived in the village, made forty-four oil paintings and forty-three water colours of the mountain and the plateau de Bibémus. And yes, the mountain itself of course is in Bouches-du-Rhône (13), and Cézanne usually took it from Gardanne (13)?