The French Riviera’s long beaches lining the shimmering Mediterranean and its gentle way of life have always attracted the greatest French and international artists. From film stars during the Cannes Film Festival to singers from the Seventies in Saint-Tropez, not forgetting the biggest names in New Wave cinema, they have all found themselves in the South of France at one time or another. Among them, Picasso and Matisse, visionary painters.
Picasso, a life from Antibes to Mougins
Picasso, one of the greatest geniuses of the 20th century art world, spent the last thirty years of his life travelling the roads of the French Riviera, first settling in Antibes in 1946 with his partner Françoise Gilot. From the Château Grimaldi where he lived, he visited the galleries of old Antibes and the jazz clubs of Juan-les-Pins. He draws, paints, sculpts and experiments with a variety of media. Many of his works from this period are now housed in the Musée Picasso, in the heart of the Château Grimaldi.
Picasso then lived in Vallauris, in the town of potters, where he tried his hand at the art of ceramics, creating almost 4,000 pieces, from plates to water jugs, owls and mythological figures. Some of these can be seen in the permanent collections of the Musée Magnelli in Vallauris.
During a visit to Cannes in the 1950s with Jacqueline Roque, his second wife, Picasso left his mark with a bronze sculpture created as a tribute to the town and placed on the Croisette. He then moved to Mougins, where he remained until his death in 1973. It was here, in his house at Notre-Dame-de-Vie, that he produced over 300 works before passing away. The town pays tribute to him with guided tours and a museum, in his villa, in memory of the master, housing numerous paintings, sculptures and engravings.
Matisse, the versatile painter of Nice
Matisse fell in love with Nice when he was 48 years old. In 1917, he took up residence at the Hôtel Beau-Rivage, along the Promenade des Anglais, and set up a studio nearby. A year later, he moved to the Hôtel de la Méditerranée et de la French Riviera where, inspired by the light, he painted many nudes. In 1938, Matisse bought an apartment in the Cimiez district, more precisely in the former Régina hotel, where he covered the walls with his gouache paper compositions.
Although he left Nice in 1943 to escape the threats of Nazi Germany, he returned in 1949 and ended his life in Cimiez, where he was buried in the monastery cemetery. Matisse spent the five years he was away from Nice in Vence. In this small town on the French Riviera, he produced one of his greatest masterpieces: the Chapel of the Rosary, which he decorated entirely at the request of one of his friends, a Dominican nun who was one of his models.
Matisse’s life on the French Riviera can be discovered in Vence, of course, but also and above all at the Musée national Henri Matisse, in the hills above Nice, in the Villa des Arènes, the emblem of the Cimiez district.
Take to the roads of art with Kingdom Limousines
If you want to follow in the footsteps of Picasso and Matisse, or those of their famous friends such as Marc Chagall, Fernand Léger, André Gide and Louis Aragon, let the professional chauffeurs at Kingdom Limousines be your guide. Experts in chauffeur-driven car hire, Kingdom Limousines will transport you safely in its luxury saloon cars throughout the French Riviera and beyond. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, our chauffeurs are at your disposal to help you discover the wonders of the hinterland of Nice, the seaside of Antibes or the Croisette in Cannes, the meeting place of the greatest film stars.
With their wealth of experience in the world of tourism and luxury, our chauffeurs put all their know-how and expertise at your disposal to satisfy your needs and desires. Aboard our Mercedes S-class and V-class, our Rolls-Royces and our limousines, they will take you to or drop you off at the airport, organise your shopping sprees with you, take you to the best parties on the Côte d’Azur and guide you on all your tourist escapades.
Much more than just a chauffeured VTC service, Kingdom Limousines is the top-of-the-range service you need for your stay on the French Riviera.
