By Coral Gables Gazette staff
The Coral Gables Library will host “Cézanne Through the Lens”, a free public presentation by Coral Gables-based photographer Alice Goldhagen. Goldhagen journeyed to the French city of Aix‑en‑Provence—the beloved home and studio of Paul Cézanne—to document the city, the landscapes, the places the artist worked and the museum shows and exhibitions commemorating his legacy. With vivid imagery and narrative, the city-sponsored event on Wednesday, November 5 at 6 p.m. invites local residents to experience Provence—without leaving Coral Gables.
A Sister City story
As the City Beautiful celebrates its own centennial year, Goldhagen’s presentation deepens the cultural bond between Coral Gables and its French sister-city, Aix-en-Provence. According to the City’s events listing, her photographs and commentary highlight how Aix’s architecture, market squares and light captured Cézanne’s imagination—and how those influences resonate in our Mediterranean-inspired hometown.
Goldhagen has been photographing France, Italy and Israel for more than twenty-five years, describing her work as “color, decoration and passion.” It is precisely this global outlook married to local roots that frames the event as more than a travelogue—it becomes a visual bridge between artistic history and community identity.
Aix through a lens
Attendees will gather in the Community Room of the Coral Gables Library (3443 Segovia Street, Coral Gables, FL 33134) for an approximately 1-hour, 30-minute program. Goldhagen will weave through images of Aix’s classical architecture, Cézanne’s studio, and market scenes steeped in the same rustic palette that influenced the artist. From there, she will turn her lens to comparisons with Coral Gables—its Mediterranean Revival homes, tree-lined boulevards, and local light. Admission is free and open to all ages.
Artistic synergies
In a city often celebrated for its sleek contemporary galleries and global art fairs, “Cézanne Through the Lens” offers a moment of quiet reflection—a chance to connect coral-toned roofs and lush Florida light with the legacy of a French master. For Coral Gables, which intentionally models itself on Mediterranean architectural and civic traditions, Goldhagen’s photographs underscore how local design, global inspiration and artistic legacy merge.
A reminder of place and perspective
Goldhagen’s work reminds us that the art of seeing begins with place—whether that place is the hills of Provence or the bougainvillea-draped entryways of Coral Gables. Her images invite us to consider the grandmother of modern painting not just as a subject of academic study, but as a living presence in the patterns of our built environment and the color of our everyday streetscapes.
In this sense, “Cézanne Through the Lens” is more than a photographic show—it is a civic moment, a commemoration of sister-city ties and an affirmation that local art can reflect global craft, tradition and transformation.
