Palais Idéal du Facteur Cheval: Varda Trilogy Concludes

The Palais Idéal du Facteur Cheval in Hauterives, France, concludes a trilogy of exhibitions honoring the bond between filmmaker Agnès Varda and postman-sculptor Joseph-Ferdinand Cheval. The final show, "Ô saison, ô chateau" (until August 27, 2023), is named after Varda's 1957 documentary commissioned by the Office National du Tourisme. Previous chapters (Correspondances, 2020; Architectures et perspectives, 2022) explored Varda's correspondence with artists like Alexander Calder and Chris Marker, and her stamp collection. The Palais Idéal, built by Cheval alone from 1879 to 1912 over 33 years, measures 26 meters long and 12 meters high. It has attracted artists since the 1930s: André Breton photographed there in 1931, Denise Bellon and Léonora Carrington exhibited photos at MoMA in 1936, and Picasso created 13 drawings inspired by Cheval. Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely saw similarities to Gaudí. In 2022, Jean-Michel Othoniel created site-specific installations for the 110th anniversary. Cheval, who never traveled beyond Lyon, drew inspiration from postcards and magazines. He opened the palace to visitors in 1897 and formally in 1905. In 1907, he sued over unauthorized postcards, a landmark image rights case. Denied burial at the palace, he built a monumental tomb at the local cemetery from 1914 to 1922, restored in 2015.