An inexhaustible source of inspiration, the French Riviera has been the muse for more than one painter. Let’s take a look at four artworks that represent our beautiful region.
Antibes by Claude Monet
The great blue at Antibes, oil on canvas, 1888. Claude Monet
In 1888, inspired by Maupassant’s stories, Monet came to the French Riviera and settled at the Château de la Pinède in Antibes. During the five months spent there, he completed around thirty works inspired by Japanese prints.
Villefranche by Eugène Boudin
The bay of Villefranche, oil on canvas, 1892. Eugène Boudin
Usually accustomed to painting the Normandy coasts, his native land, this marine painter drew inspiration from the landscapes of the French Riviera for some of his works. In 1892, he decided to temporarily leave Normandy to settle in Villefranche, which inspired him to create this canvas, now exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in Nice.
Cagnes-sur-Mer by Auguste Renoir
Terraces in Cagnes, oil on canvas, 1905. Auguste Renoir
In 1903, Renoir moved to Cagnes and bought the Domaine des Collettes, where he would spend the rest of his life until 1919. The small town on the French Riviera would be the subject of many other of his paintings.
Today, the Collettes estate has become the Renoir Museum.
Nice by Henri Matisse
Storm in Nice, oil on canvas, 1919-1920. Henri Matisse
Originally from the North of France, Henri Matisse came to Nice to treat a bronchitis — the Mediterranean climate was reputed to be healing.
Storm in Nice refers to his first stay in the city, at the Beau Rivage hotel, where it rained for a month. The painter stated, “I left L’Estaque because of the wind, and there I caught bronchitis. I came to Nice to heal it, but it rained continuously for a month. Finally, I decided to leave the city. The next day the mistral wind blew the clouds away, and the weather was beautiful. When I realized I would see this light every morning, I could not believe my luck.” Subsequently, the city would inspire Matisse more than once.
