Karim Crippa: Amanda Lear, we know you as a singer and an actress, but you were a painter before either of these.

Amanda Lear: When I was at art school, I had no idea that my career was going to go in the direction of theater or film. Initially, I was only interested in painting. Then I met Salvador Dalí, for whom I posed, and little by little, I turned to disco music, then theater, television, and film. Now, I’m an actress, but painting has always been very important to me.

I can’t live if I don’t go back to my house in Provence to be alone and paint. For me, it’s like going to the psychoanalyst. Of course, I’m not a world-famous painter, whereas I am a world-famous singer. So I’ve always been labelled as a singer who paints, which bothers me a little. It’s quite the opposite: I’m a painter who sings.

You have said that when you are in Provence, it is impossible not to paint.

And it’s true. There’s something magical about this place that makes you want to paint, even if you’re not a painter. All the great artists have stayed here, from Van Gogh to Cézanne. I’ve been living in the region for 40 years.

What do you find most difficult to paint?

Human beings are the most difficult to paint. I always paint them from the back. Buttocks work pretty well for me. The buttock is an extraordinary thing: It catches the light well, whether it’s a man’s or woman’s.

What comes most easily to me are trees; They’re the most beautiful. At home in Provence, I have many olive trees. When you see a tree that’s all twisted up, lives 2,000 years, and which produces small fruit... all this effort; it’s magic.

Do you have any favorite artists?

I’ve always loved the fauves - Gauguin, Vuillard, Bonnard, painters who know how to handle bright colors. Unfortunately, when I met Dalí, he completely sabotaged them for me. He found their work appalling, said it was badly painted, and that there were only three artists who counted: Velázquez, Raphael and Vermeer… and of course himself.

I stayed with Dalí for 15 or 16 years, so of course I listened to everything he said. I wasn't going to argue with a painting genius! Little by little, I realized that I was the victim of a kind of tyranny, of cretinization. When he died, I rediscovered my own taste.

Who do you think painted Paris best?

Paris isn’t easy to paint. Some have succeeded, somewhat academically, but many have failed spectacularly. Maurice Utrillo’s Paris, for example, is naive, not pretty. I like Raoul Dufy’s Paris, a joyful city, very stylized, with lots of color.

Which personality best embodies Paris?

The Parisienne, of course. The true Parisienne is a woman who is always elegant, but with something extra. The fashion illustrator René Gruau, who did all the advertising campaigns for Dior, knew how to portray her, perfectly capturing Parisian chic. Then again, nowadays, when you look at people in the street, everyone is wearing a down jacket, sneakers, sweatpants...

What is the craziest thing you have seen in Paris?

There are lots of them – some shocking, some just plain silly. At the moment, I walk past Jeff Koons’s bouquet of tulips every day. I find it absolutely absurd! What’s it doing in the middle of Paris? He contacted me recently, saying that we’d met in New York a few years ago, and that I inspired him. So I replied: I have to think of you every day when I walk past your tulips!

What can you only do in Paris?

See the Eiffel Tower. I’m currently staying in Passy, and every day I marvel at this extraordinary construction. It’s a masterpiece. There are other unique places in the city, Montmartre, the Concorde… but Paris is the Eiffel Tower.

What are your favorite places in Paris?

I’ve always loved the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district. I would have loved to live there, but it was impossible to find an apartment. For me, it is the district of artists and students, and it is where you can find Place de Furstemberg, which is particularly pretty. One of my favorite museums is the Musée Gustave Moreau, located in the artist’s former house and studio. Dalí used to take me there. 

You are often referred to as an icon; what do you make of that word?

It bothers me. An icon is something very fixed, a religious image, in front of which we say prayers. Me, I am always moving; I prefer the words ‘muse’ or ‘inspiratrice.’ Couturiers like me. There’s a fashion right now for older, self-confident, fulfilled women. For example, I’ve just done the latest Jacquemus campaign.

Who would be your dream dinner guests?

Funny, witty people. Oscar Wilde, maybe Truman Capote… and a great actress, like Bette Davis. And for good looks, a handsome boy, let’s say Jacob Elordi. It’s better to have something to look at when you’re eating. Aesthetics matter.