In Le Lavandou, the Chemin des peintres covers 2.5 km through the Saint-Clair district, taking around 1 hour 30 minutes. Colour reproductions place works opposite the Mediterranean landscapes where several Neo-Impressionist figures worked between 1892 and 1926.
Which painters are featured?
The route notably follows Henri-Edmond Cross, Théo Van Rysselberghe, Paul Signac, Maurice Denis and Maximilien Luce. Saint-Clair attracted painters, writers and intellectuals drawn by the light, almond trees, beaches and views towards the Îles d’Or.
What do you see along the walk?
Information stands present works actually painted in Le Lavandou: Saint-Clair bay and beach, the Îles d’Or, Cap Bénat, Mediterranean vegetation and views towards Île du Levant. Comparing them with today's landscape helps explain why coastal colours became central to these artists' research.
Good to know before setting out
The route focuses on Saint-Clair rather than the whole of Le Lavandou. The distance is moderate, but it is worth walking slowly to study the reproductions and find the lines of the landscape behind each work.
A little something extra
Cross and Van Rysselberghe both had lasting ties to Le Lavandou and are buried in the municipal cemetery. Their presence went beyond a simple artistic stay: the trail tells the story of a genuine Neo-Impressionist centre on the Var coast.
