In the world of chandelier design, few work harder to ensure that the art form survives than Régis Mathieu.
Recently, only industry insiders knew that Mathieu also maintains galleries in New York City and Paris and operates a museum in Gargas, in his native Provence. But that museum has quietly built a reputation as a must-visit — it holds a private collection of more than 1,000 chandeliers dating back as far as the Middle Ages.
Housed in a former factory that made ocher (a natural clay pigment), the museum, which is free to the public, showcases treasures like an 1878 Baccarat crystal confection. The lights, which are solar-powered, are always on: visitors are encouraged to view them at night, when a soft, luminous glow shines through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
In 2022, the museum unveiled a third exhibition space dedicated to the company’s contemporary chandeliers, along with pieces by other designers, including Maria Grazia Rosin and Warren Mueller. In the workshop, visitors can watch artisans craft custom pieces for clients like Cartier and the nearby Coquillade Provence resort.
Also new is a 10-acre park designed around the stone basins once used to wash ocher ore brought from the neighboring village of Roussillon. Mathieu hopes the park will deepen travelers’ connection to the region, as well as attracting a younger generation
