Lavender: Fragrance of Provence

The scent of lavender fills the air in the French region of Provence. Hans Silvester, who loves Provence and has lived there for more than thirty years, has photographed lavender in all four seasons, capturing the changing colors, shapes, and formal beauty of the fields. In Silvester's photographs, each season offers a different image of Provence. The fields of lavender and its hybrid lavandin symbolize the sometimes contradictory aspects of the Provencal soul: the rich, potent purple of summer contrasts with the hard gray earth of winter; autumn's amber sadness rivals spring's tender new beginnings. Also revealed is the varying terrain of Provence, ranging from broad plains to hills and mountains, where scattered farms share small parcels of land and form a patchwork of lavender on the rocky slopes. The text by Christiane Meunier, a professional in the field of fragrances, recounts the history of lavender. Readers learn that it has grown naturally in Provence since ancient times, when it was widely used to perfume bathwater. In the Middle Ages it was used medicinally and as a scent, and by 1900 farmers in the South of France had begun to grow lavender commercially. Today, as Silvester's photographs demonstrate, lavender appears as an integral part of the landscape of Provence, an essential element of its character and beauty.