The story of how the Côte d'Azur dazzled modern art's great innovators.
To Monet, it was like "swimming in blue air." To Braque, a "joyful revelation." Derain compared its cerulean hues to "sticks of dynamite . . . primed to discharge light."
The radiance of the French Riviera left an indelible mark on artists. It roused the imaginations not only of the 19th and 20th centuries' greatest painters - among them Picasso, Matisse, Cézanne, Renoir and Klein - but giants of literature, cinema and fashion, whose works helped define the carefree glamour and eternal romance of the Côte d'Azur.
From the 1870's, the azure seas and sapphire skies of the French Riviera beckoned artists, writers, intellectuals and aristocrats searching for an escape from their drab and crowded industrial cities. What they discovered was the landscape of their dreams - one that propelled the Impressionists, Post-Impressionists and Modernists to new creative heights.
In these two lectures, Jo Rhymer will discuss the exhibition at the Royal Academy "Painting The French Riviera" from 2 October 2026 - 31 January 2027, which looks at how the French Riviera supported the rise of modern art - and later became a travel destination and film location that epitomised midcentury sophistication.
Immerse yourself, just as these artists did, in a Mediterranean paradise.
Please join us from 9:30am for coffee.
For any queries, please contact event organiser Susan Alloun at arthistory1@kcwc.org.uk
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