The South of France, from the charming villages of Provence to the glittering Mediterranean coast of the Riviera, has long lured artists, hedonists, sun-seekers, entertainers and writers. Well before it became a summer hotspot for the jet set that it is today, the balmy climate, dramatic landscapes, sleepy fishing villages and beautiful joie de vivre of the South of France offered respite for the sick and world weary, inspiration for creatives, and a safe haven during the world wars that ravaged the rest of Europe. From the 19th century, Impressionists and Modernists flocked southward to discover the allure of this part of France, which served heavily as motifs in their work. Here are eight artists who found both homes and inspiration in the South of France.
Henri Matisse
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Henri Matisse (1869-1954) first visited the South of France in 1905, when he painted two of his most famous works in Collioure, near the Spanish border (Les toits de Collioure and The Open Window, renowned works at the Hermitage and National Gallery of Art respectively). During the First World War, he decamped to a suburb of Nice in 1917 and remained in the South of France for the rest of his life (he died in 1954). Matisse's Fauvist technique and vibrant colour palette are often associated with the brilliant tones of the Riviera, from the blooming flowers to the blue Mediterranean. In 1963, the Musée Matisse was established in Nice and Matisse himself donated the majority of the works that make up the collection, which range from paintings and drawings to sculptures and books, as well as his personal memorabilia.
Marc Chagall
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After frequent visits to the south of France, Marc Chagall (1887-1985) moved to the Cote d'Azur permanently in 1948 and lived there until his death in 1985. He once said, "There, in the south [of France], for the first time in my life, I saw that rich greenness – the like of which I had never seen in my own country." In the south of France, he also experimented with ceramics, like Picasso, because of the many pottery centres. Chagall's legacy in the South of France lives on in the Marc Chagall National Museum in Nice, which was established in 1973 and was designed by Chagall himself. The museum especially houses Chagall's paintings depicting Biblical messages, as well as mosaics, stained glass, sculptures and drawings, making up the largest collection of Chagall works in the world.
Paul Signac
An avid sailer, Paul Signac (1863-1935) sought out beautiful coastal destinations where he could combine his love of the sea with his passion for painting. He settled in the South of France, where he owned homes first in St. Tropez and later in Antibes. The harbours of the Cote d'Azur featured prominently in his works, rendered in his signature Pointillist style which emphasised prisms of colour and light.
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) first moved to the South of France, specifically the medieval Provençal village of Avignon, in 1914 at the beginning of World War I. Being of Spanish origin, he was not required to enlist in the French army like some of his artist comrades and therefore could spend the war years working on his art. He also escaped to the south of France, to Chateau Grimaldi in Antibes, at the outset of World War II.
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The south of France was also the site of his discovery of pottery. In 1947, he attended a pottery exhibition in Vallauris and fell in love with the art of ceramics. He stayed in Vallauris, which lies between Cannes and Antibes, for the next seven years at the Madoura factory, creating iconic plates, bowls and vases. He owned lavish properties in the south of France, including La Californie, Château Vauvenargues and Mas Notre-dame-de-Vie Mougins, where Picasso lived for the last 12 years of his life and passed away. Today, multiple museums commemorate Picasso's contribution to the artist community of the South of France, such as the Musée Picasso in Antibes, housed at the Chateau Grimaldi where Picasso once lived, and the National Picasso Museum in Vallauris.
Pierre Bonnard
In 1908, Pierre Bonnard (1867-1947) visited St. Tropez, staying with Henri Mauguin, the Fauvist artist well known for his Mediterranean landscapes. His time in the south of France inspired many of his major paintings that established his career. Later, he purchased a villa in Le Cannet, a hillside village above Cannes with magnificent views that he often captured in his artworks. Like many other artists, Bonnard left Paris at the beginning of World War II and moved to Le Cannet permanently, where he lived until his death in 1947.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
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Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) suffered from arthritis and so in 1907 decamped to Cagnes-sur-Mer, between Antibes and Nice on the French Riviera, to heal. His farmhouse there, Les Collettes, surrounded by the Provençal countryside and groves of orange and olive trees, featured heavily in Renoir's landscapes during the last years of his life, during which he still painted prolifically. Les Collettes is now the Renoir Museum and home to his paintings and sculptures, as well as his original studio.
Vincent van Gogh
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Perhaps the artist most associated with the South of France, Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) first came to Arles in 1888 because he was suffering from a cough and ill health. The two years spent in the South of France proved to be the most prolific period of the Post-Impressionist's short career, as he completed hundreds of artworks there. The artist, who dealt with mental illness his whole life, entered an asylum in St. Remy in Provence, where he painted some of his best-known works, such as Starry Night.
Paul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) was a native of the South of France, born and raised in Aix-en-Provence. He divided his life between Paris and Provence, and the latter's mountainous landscapes, hillside villages and rich colours are captured magnificently in his famous landscapes. One of his recurring motifs was Mont Sainte-Victoire, a limestone mountain in Provence, which he painted repeatedly during the last twenty-eight years of his life, when he lived permanently in Provence.
![Victorine Meurent, Orientalist scene with hookah smoker, Oil on canvas, 25 x 16.5 cm, Signed and dated '[18]76' lower left. Image © Aguttes (detail))](https://images.prismic.io/barnebys/5b7c8d97-de27-436a-821e-56d5dbac1ca5_Article+Hero+Image+FR.png?auto=format,compress)
