While Holland spent a lot of time at the fashionable end of the French Mediterranean coast, particularly in the early 60s and early 70s, he also had a soft spot for the Nimes area. He always said the Maison Carree in Nimes was the most perfect Roman edifice.
His friends Jean and "Joe" Chamberlain and Christoph Bon bought a ruin near Uzes and converted that into the most wonderful holiday home you can imagine - le Mas Gouge. The main building had its foundations in the roman era, but for those who knew the work of Chamberlain, Powell and Bon, there were similarities too with their chef d'oevre, the Barbican Centre.
We first went there in about 1969, after a soggy weekend in Normandy and a rather eventful drive south. As you leave the Massif Centrale finally at Ales, Provence opens out before you and we couldn't work out why we had stayed in the North for so long. In those days, the Mas had a generator for use by guests, but it resolutely failed to fire up for us, so we relied on camping lanterns, candles and a cooker and fridge powered by bottled gas. In later years, the generator was kept exclusively for pumping water when the Mistrale didn't blow, while all other needs were supplied by a massive gas tank beyond the walled structure.
The provencal light, the historic and/or timeless buildings and the gentle mediterranean landscapes provided endless inspiration for Holland as these paintings show.
Bourdic, oil on board, framed, available for purchase.
The Church at Dion, oil on board, framed, available for purchase.
Lussan, Gard, oil on board, signed, home made frame, available for purchase.