Chez Marcelle, at the Fondation Hartung-Bergman. ELISA NGUYEN PHUNG
White cubes rise amid Mediterranean flora, a wave of modernism set against a sea of pines and olive trees. Though it resembles a house in Menorca, the Fondation Hartung-Bergman is in the south of France, perched on the heights above Antibes. From 1973 through the late 1980s, it was home to French-German painter Hans Hartung (1904-1989), an abstract art pioneer, and Norwegian painter Anna-Eva Bergman (1909-1987). Beyond this remarkable villa-studio – recognized as an outstanding example of contemporary architecture – and their rich body of work, the couple left behind their devoted cook.
Marcelle Driesen, 75, started working for them over half a century ago: "When Anna-Eva and Hans moved in, they were looking for someone to do the cleaning and the cooking. My father, who tended the olive trees, told me about it." She worked for them for around 15 years before becoming the chef for their posthumous foundation, inaugurated in 1994 and open to the public since 2022, where most of their works are displayed. Spread across 1,500 square meters of gardens are the artists' studios, a shop and temporary exhibition spaces. In 2023, the cafeteria Chez Marcelle was set up in what used to be the garage. It is a place that reflects its hostess: simple and cheerful.
