A masterpiece of Provençal Romanesque art, Montmajour Abbey is hosting “Floraison majeure,” an exhibition of works by artisan Alain Chevalier, throughout the fall and winter.
About a hundred flowers carved from glazed lava stone are displayed in the abbey’s outdoor spaces, echoing the capital columns of the cloister.
The exhibition highlights the importance of the plant world in Romanesque art. Through its perpetual cycle, nature bears witness to life, its vital force, and its beauty, in a creation that is both simple and essential. In the Middle Ages, Romanesque art reinterpreted the plant motifs inherited from antiquity by simplifying and stylizing them. These immediately recognizable forms lend themselves naturally to interlacing: in essence, the plant is reborn.
Created in 2025 for La Sauve-Majeure Abbey, Alain Chevalier’s daisies then made a stop at Thoronet Abbey before finding their current home at Montmajour Abbey.
A “mineral” bloom to be discovered throughout the seasons, where Romanesque heritage meets contemporary art.
