Beyond the Beaches: Art in the French Riviera

By Rick Steves, Tribune Content Agency on Nov 26, 2019

Picasso Museum, Vallauris

After his sabbatical in Antibes, Picasso moved on to Vallauris, a typical Riviera village midway between Antibes and Cannes. The little town was home to several active art potteries, and Picasso became so enamored by the ceramics he saw that he resolved to take up clay as a medium. He ended up staying in Vallauris until 1955, and the museum there is a good place to become acquainted with his playful approach to ceramic art (www.musee-picasso-vallauris.fr).

Maeght Foundation, St. Paul de Vence

This inviting, private museum, situated just above the inland town of St. Paul de Vence, offers an excellent introduction to modern Mediterranean art. Its founder, the Parisian art dealer Aimé Maeght, purchased an arid hilltop in the 1960s, planted it with 35,000 trees and shrubs, and hired the Catalan architect José Luis Sert to design a museum for his collection. Today it gathers the work of many famous modern artists (Fernand Léger, Joan Miró, Alexander Calder, Georges Braque, Marc Chagall) under one roof. The lovely setting, with a verdant sculpture garden, is a bonus (www.fondation-maeght.com).

Matisse Rosary Chapel, Vence

Matisse convalesced from cancer surgery in 1941 with the help of a Dominican nun, and years later, in 1949, he repaid the favor by designing this tiny chapel in the hills above Nice. Deceptively simple, the chapel is tiled in plain white, with a few black-on-white line drawings (one depicts St. Dominic). But yellow, green, and blue stained-glass windows filter the sunlight, creating a cheery dance across the walls -- expressing Matisse's irrepressible love of life. It's a space of light and calm that only a master could have created (www.chapellematisse.fr).

Thanks to these diverse museums, the Riviera has a cultural richness that's not typical of resort areas. The collections reflect the congenial joie de vivre of southern France: the playfulness, freedom, color, and beauty that inspires artists to this day.

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(Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook.)