MONCONTOUR
Artist’s Story:
In the north of Brittany, Moncontour rises up out of the plain, an ancient fortress on top of a rocky outcrop. I rode my scooter up the narrow, winding road until I reached an open place and the Office de Tourisme. The little town was bedecked with colourful bunting, pennants and flags - I had, by sheer chance, arrived just a few days before the Medieval Festival of Moncontour, held only once every two years. Moncontour, for me, was one of those delightfully serendipitous experiences of travel, when you just happen to find yourself in the right place at the right time!
Due to the coming Festival, accommodation choices were limited, but I found a place with a very nice landlady at the bottom of the hill, just where the mount abruptly flattens out into plain. At the end of the first day, I was sitting in a little patio area outside my room when two big motorbikes went past and stopped a few houses along, at the end of the cul-de-sac. The next evening, with my scooter not yet put away, two of the bike-riders strolled over from their house, wine glasses in hand and enthusiasm on their faces, to say ‘bonjour’ and check out my scooter. They introduced themselves. ‘Come over for a drink’, they said, ‘the others will be here later’. Which led to another party the next night when their friends (with Shakespearian connections in Stratford) arrived with a car-load of medieval costumes. From then on, I was included with these lovely people and their local friends for the Medieval festivities, where we ate, drank, paraded and participated, as desired.
My new Best-Friends-of-the-Moment were all dressed in full costume for the Festival, as were most of the town’s residents and hundreds of visitors. (I did my best from my tiny travelling resources!) The Festival began with a service in St Mathurin’s Church, in the main square. All the clergy, the choir, the officiating people, were in Medieval costume, and the robed musicians played Medieval instruments.The dignitaries and the regular townspeople occupied the main centre block of the church, all in costume. I edged my way forward and found an empty chair, right at the front.
I had a perfect view of everything, including some of the stunning stained-glass windows.
Around the little town, there was jousting, horsemanship, sword-play and falconry. There were crests and flags, and shops converted to a Medieval appearance. There were Lords and Ladies, jesters and peasants, Knights and maids .... in sackcloth, velvets, chain-mail, leather and fur. There were performers, musicians, jugglers and puppeteers, stilt-walkers, grotesque masks, a caged ‘half-man, half-beast’ and a smocked man herding his flock of geese. There was beer and wine, bread and roasted meats. There were traders and peddlers selling Medieval goods and services -leatherworkers, blacksmiths and bee-keepers, cakes, honeymead and embroidered purses,.
What a feast for the eyes, what rich visual material...........what fun!!!!!!
Late in the afternoon there was a sudden burst of rain. I was just near St Mathurin’s, so I ducked inside for shelter, and wandered around looking in more detail at the stained-glass windows.
I suddenly realized that here was my next painting inspiration.
The Medieval windows told the lives of Saints in rich, glowing colours, textured fabrics and furs, detailed patterns and Medieval clothing. Imagine the story-telling might of this vitreous Technicolour Dreamcoat, the religious power of these windows soaring up to the heavens, for illiterate peasants (and indeed illiterate higher-ups) of the 16th century! And, for me, these glorious windows reflected what was happening all around me at the secular Festival outside, with colour and movement, texture and tales, patterns and pageantry.
How to re-create all these elements in paint ??!? I have really enjoyed the challenge and the process, and I invite you to also enjoy these new paintings at my “Moncontour” exhibition.
Laura Cole 2010