Roger Vergé

Roger Vergé portrait painting

Mougins honors Roger Vergé with a sculpture by artist Peter Engels

CANNES – World famous French chef Roger Vergé died in June 2015. Peter Engels was commissioned to create Vergé’s large sculpture that has a permanent place in Mougins, the beautiful old village just outside the mondain Cannes in the South of France.

Five Michelin star chef Roger Vergé was the father of the “nouvelle cuisine” together with his famous friends Paul Bocuse and Gaston Lenôtre. In his restaurants “Le Moulin de Mougins” and “l’Amandier” he cooked lighthearted, healthy and natural dishes combining fresh and local ingredients. He called the simple but artfully prepared dishes “La Cuisine du Soleil” and “La Cuisine Heureuse”.

He was loved by celebrity guests like Michael Douglas, Sylvester Stallone and John Travolta. Movie stars escaped the rat race of the Cannes Film Festival to dine at his restaurant in nearby Mougins. Gault Millau described Roger Vergé as the archetype of the French chef.

Peter Engels says: “Roger Vergé loved art. He would have loved seeing his own sculpture in his home village. Very few people remember that he played a part in the film “Monet’s Palate” alongside Meryl Streep. To create Roger Vergé’s sculpture to be permanently positioned in the village of Mougins is a great honor.”

During “Les Etoiles de Mougins” Peter Engels also painted Roger Vergé’s portrait. The Roger Vergé portrait painting was exhibited at the festivities and later in Galerie d’art Lifetime in Mougins.

For the international chef contest Peter Engels created a miniature sculpture as an award for the winning chef.