Rich in exceptional natural heritage, the French Riviera has been home to a plethora of renowned artists. From Picasso to Matisse, Chagall, Renoir, De Staël, and Cocteau, all have been charmed by the unique light of the Azurean coast. As specialists in real estate in the region, the Michaël Zingraf Christie's International Real Estate teams provide an overview of the greatest artists who have stayed on the French Riviera.
The French Riviera, a favorite place for painters
With its stunning landscapes, colorful villages, and panoramic views between land and sea, the French Riviera has seduced the world's most famous painters. Some lived there for many years and drew inspiration from the area to create remarkable works.
Pablo Picasso
While living in Paris, the Spanish painter began making regular trips to the south of France. Captivated by the region, Picasso wandered along the French Riviera before settling there permanently. He first set up his easel in Antibes (where he lived in the Grimaldi Castle), then moved to Vallauris, where he discovered ceramics. He produced over 4,000 works in his studio there and installed the War and Peace fresco in the village chapel – one can still contemplate the sculpture Man with a Sheep that he offered to the city in the main square. A few years later, Picasso was captivated by Cannes, where he created many major works. He then left the city for Mougins, where he set up his studio and spent his final days.
Henri Matisse
Admiring the natural light of Nice, Matisse settled there in 1917 and never left the region. The painter, originally from the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, established his studio in Old Nice, at the end of Cours Saleya. The view of the sea and the hills that he contemplated from his apartment inspired a large part of his work. Considering the French Riviera as a paradise that he tried to reproduce in his paintings, the leader of the Fauvism movement left Nice to settle in Vence, in the hinterland. He fully realized the Rosaire Chapel there, from the construction plans to the painting on the walls and the stained glass. His remains now rest in Nice, in the Cimiez district.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Cocteau, Chagall...
A founding member of Impressionism, Renoir settled in 1907 at the Domaine des Collettes in Cagnes-sur-Mer. It is in this small seaside town that he began sculpture and created important works. Renoir also painted numerous colorful canvases from the hill of the old village, where he spent his final days. His estate also became a holiday destination for several other internationally renowned artists, including Matisse, Modigliani, Bonnard, and Rodin.
In the 20th century, the French Riviera was the residence of many other renowned artists. This was the case for Chagall, who ended his days in Saint-Paul de Vence in the Niçois hinterland, or Nicolas de Staël, who established himself on the ramparts of Antibes.
Fernand Léger also settled in the village of Biot, while Jean Cocteau stayed many times in Saint-Jean Cap Ferrat and Villefranche-sur-Mer. He decorated the wedding hall and the mayor's office in Menton, created numerous mosaics and tapestries in the Santo Sospir villa in Saint-Jean Cap Ferrat, built an open-air theater in Cap D'ail, and decorated the Saint-Pierre Chapel in Villefranche-sur-Mer.
The teams of Michaël Zingraf Real Estate Group, exclusive affiliate of Christie's International Real Estate, are at your disposal to present you with many exceptional properties that belonged to artists on the French Riviera.