Modernism on the Côte d'Azur
An art lover’s guide to the French Riviera
Ah, the French Riviera! An enviable sun-soaked stretch of coastline renowned for its sensational beauty, glorious white sand beaches and alluring glamour – this adult playground was the ultimate resort of the first half of the 20th century.
But did you know that it’s also a Modernist art lover’s dream destination… Picasso, Chagall, Matisse, and dozens of other famous 20th-century artists vacationed, lived, and created in the Côte d’Azur in their day, and their traces still can be visited today in the form of museums, galleries, and chapels. In this article, we explore five not-to-be-missed arts destinations along the Côte d'Azur!
In the 19th century, the Scottish doctor John Brown came up with a theory that galloping consumption, or tuberculosis, could be cured by a simple change of climate. Brown lit upon the so-called Côte d’Azur, a stunning stretch of coastline in southern France, as an ideal location to experiment with his ‘climato-therapy’. His prescription of sun, sea and sleep quickly took off, with even Queen Victoria converted - and thus the French Riviera was born as a modern tourist destination.
The bright light and relaxed living of the French Riviera attracted as many artists and literati in the 20th century as it had sickly English aristocrats the century before. From Monet in Antibes, to Bonnard at Le Cannet and Picasso just about everywhere, it was the place to be for the avant-garde. Now, this sunny region is one of the best and most scenic places to appreciate modern European art. Here we introduce you to five places to soak up this light-filled artistic moment.
1. Fondation Maeght - France's first independent art foundation
Our list starts with the spectacular views, Mediterranean atmosphere and modernist architecture of the Fondation Maeght. Set in the hills above Nice, the idyllic Maeght family estate was revisioned as a museum of 20th-century art by Marguerite and Aimé Maeght in the 1960s, in memory of their son, who died of leukemia at a young age. The Maeghts made their fortune in publishing and established a reputation for fine art collecting with their gallery in Paris.
Their personal collection in Josep Lluís Sert’s airy building (pictured above) includes works by Pierre Bonnard, Alexander Calder and Joan Miró, but since the couple amassed over 12,000 artworks in their lifetime, the display changes frequently. The verdant sculpture garden (pictured below) offers a serene context to appreciate modern art, as does the small chapel with works by Braque, dedicated to the couple’s son.
Five minutes from the Fondation Maeght you’ll find the picturesque village of Saint-Paul de Vence, at one time home to Jean-Paul Sartre, Marc Chagall and Pablo Picasso. A tiny walled town, it boasts numerous small private galleries and breathtaking views from the ramparts. You can also seek out the historic La Colombe d’Or – an inn whose walls are covered in small artworks left by grateful artists. Former guests, including Matisse, Miró, and Chagall, have all left their legacy on these walls, literally in exchange for a night at the inn or a few good meals!
2. Matisse Chapel in Vence
High above Saint-Paul de Vence you can visit the Rosary Chapel, designed by Henri Matisse in honour of a personal connection to one of the nuns in this Dominican community. In 1941, Matisse was nursed through his cancer surgery in Nice by a “young and pretty” woman, Monique Bourgeois, who posed for drawings and paintings.
Later, Monique entered the convent, taking the name of Sister Jacques-Marie. When Matisse later moved to Vence, Sister Jacques-Marie told him of the nuns’ plan to build a new chapel and he agreed to help by working, at age 77, on the architecture, stained glass windows, furniture and even vestments for the chapel.
The result (pictured above) is a vibrant space with an undersea atmosphere. White walls with simple line drawings on ceramic tiles give way to blue and yellow stained-glass windows that focus the strong Mediterranean light into dancing patterns on the floor. The energetic designs and dramatic colours of the vestments on display invoke the symbolic associations of the liturgy. In the chapel, loud conversations and photography are discouraged, so the chapel still conveys beautifully the air of clean and quiet contemplation that Matisse sought to create.
3. Cocteau Chapel in Villefranche-sur-Mer
Back down by the harbour at the quiet fishing village of Villefranche-sur-Mer, you’ll find Chapelle de Saint-Pierre des Pecheurs, one of the last creations of Jean Cocteau (pictured below), the hugely influential 20th-century filmmaker, playwright, and artist.
An iconoclast with strong opinions, Cocteau polarised friends and enemies alike, and enjoyed scandalous dalliances in the permissive atmosphere of the Côte d’Azur. He first starting visiting the tiny fishing village of Villefranche-sur-Mer (pictured below) in the 1920s as respite after the death of a lover, and fell in love with a small 14th-century chapel dedicated to Saint-Pierre, the patron saint of fishermen, that had fallen into significant disrepair. By 1956, the artist had proposed a plan to refurbish the church to new glory.
Working with local craftsmen, Cocteau aimed to manifest St Peter’s own mission, the words painted above the chapel’s entrance still inviting visitors to become one of the building’s “living stones” (pierres vivantes). Inside, Cocteau’s murals depict Christ soaring up the curving roof (pictured below), saving Peter from his failing faith as he tries to walk across the water. Cocteau laboured on his designs for Christ’s face, later confessing that it took him more than fifty preparatory cartoons before he could find the right expression, “simple, sublime, wise.” But Christ and Peter are surrounded by portraits of Villefranche’s mid-century residents, the gypsies, fishermen and even personal friends encountered by Cocteau.
4. Picasso, Picasso everywhere!
Picasso loved the light of southern France, and spent decades moving from town to town, pursuing both new lovers and artistic techniques. One of the easiest places to survey his contributions to the region is the Musée Picasso in Antibes, a pleasant coastal town that also inspired Monet and Seurat and today hosts the charming Marché Provencal, a daily market of local delicacies and tempting delights.
The museum (pictured above), is located in the Château Grimaldi and has a large collection of the artist’s paintings, drawings and sculpture; but a true highlight is his Joie de vivre, 1946 (pictured below), celebrating his new relationship with the beautiful Francoise Gilot, forty years his junior!
The relationship with Gilot brought Picasso two children but not long-term happiness, and the artist moved on to the town of Vallauris, where he eventually found both a new companion and a new medium. Jacqueline Roque was 26 to Picasso’s 72, but she remained an enduring muse for the rest of his life. And in Vallauris, Picasso discovered the joy of ceramics, designing plates, cups, platters and tiles in the Madoura ceramic studio that were a huge commercial success.
Vallauris also boasts a Musée Picasso, decorated with one of the artist’s last political works. War and Peace, painted in 1952 on hardboard panels, was the result of hundreds of preparatory drawings and paintings and echoes the earlier power of Guernica. The panel paintings (pictured below) document the growth of military aggression after World War II, with soldiers advancing ominously on dancing women and a satyr playing musical accompaniment, They are a reminder of how Cold War politics affected the outlook of modern artists – even those enjoying the sunny atmosphere of the French Riviera.
5. Chagall Museum in Nice
Making our way to the outskirts of Nice, not far from the city’s ancient Roman amphitheatre, we find the wonderful Chagall Museum, created by the artist himself in 1973, together with the influential Minister of Culture André Malraux.
Described by Australian art critic Robert Hughes as the 20th century’s most important Jewish artist, Chagall had a lifelong interest in religion and a particular dedication to exploring the scriptures of Genesis, Exodus and Solomon’s Song of Songs in his art. He even specified how his paintings were to be displayed in the Nice museum, and offered instructions for a reflecting pond and stained glass windows that build out the museum’s exploration of religious art to encompass global spiritual traditions.
For Chagall, colour was one of the most important components of his mosaics, stained glass, painting and sculpture. In the Mediterranean light of Nice they dance, create forms and animate viewers’ emotional responses to these large-scale works. Even difficult themes like war and the loss of traditional Jewish culture take on a hopeful aspect with his explosive and repetitive use of dramatic colour combinations, and this museum remains a true highlight of any visit to the French Riviera!
Half a mile further up on the Hill of Cimiez, you can also find one of the richest collections of Matisse's works in the world. Initiated by the artist's widow, Nice's Matisse Museum contains paintings of every period and is particularly strong on drawings and on the pioneering decorative phase of Matisse's final years. It is housed on the first floor of a gracious 17th-century Genoese villa (pictured below), with the ground floor being occupied by the Archeological Museum.
The rich artistic talent of course continues well beyond this selection, with many small museums, private galleries and other delights to be found along the coast, and the storied towns of the French Riviera still hold a cultural scene that’s more alive than ever, just waiting to be explored…
BURGUNDY, PROVENCE & THE RIVIERA
In 2024, explore the art, architecture, gastronomy and drama of southern France and the French Riviera on our 16-day tour led by Dr Jeni Ryde.
Through background talks and a carefully thought-out program of walking tours, archaeological site visits, museums and galleries, you will gain a meaningful and enjoyable understanding of what these regions have to offer.
