Nicole de Vésian: Gardens, Modern Design in Provence

After a career as a renowned fashion designer in Paris and New York, Nicole de Vésian (1916–1996) moved to Provence in the 1980s and, at the age of 70, began creating a series of superbly proportioned and innovative gardens. Classically French in form (even if devoid of symmetry), pared down without being austere and in profound harmony with the surrounding countryside, these green and grey tapestries quickly came to inspire gardeners and garden designers the world over. Indeed, few French gardens are as widely imitated as those of Vésian; as Louisa Jones writes, “she had a feeling for space just as a musician has a good ear.” This monograph is the first devoted to Vésian’s work, and offers testimonies, reflections and full-color views of her most celebrated creations, including her own celebrated garden, La Louve, in the hilltop village of Bonnieux.