The Cote d’Azur, with its stunning natural landscapes, charmingly quaint fishing villages and dramatically luxurious cities, framed immaculately by the unique colours and characteristics of the Mediterranean Ocean, such as its laid-back and agreeable lifestyle, has long be an inspiration for many an artist.

In was during the 20^th century when this inimitable region of the Southern France really began to attract artists from around the world and became legendary for its association with Modern Art.

From Matisse, Picasso, Bonnard, Chagall and Renoir, many of the world’s finest painters found inspiration on this stretch of Mediterranean utopia, inspired by its special light and devotion for ‘living’.

As a consequence of being such a hub for 20^th century artists, there are numerous museums in the region fundamentally dedicated for displaying the spectacular creations of some of the world’s most influential artists.

The Musee Renoir, for example, in Cagnes Sur Mer, is situated within a park brimming with olive trees, which was one of Auguste Renoir’s most cherished loves.

The Renoir Musee features 11 original paintings from the Cagnes and Nacre periods, as well as hordes of Renoir’s old photos, sculptures, sketches and personal belongings.

In the city of Nice, the Matisse Museum can be found, which is housed in a 17^th century mansion and contains Matisse’s personal collection, including drawings, sculptures, engraving and some of the artist’s most famous canvasses.

Matisse is believed to have begun his four decade-long love affair with the Cote d’Azur in 1917, and was consolidated by not only the lavish artistic production that existing in the region during the 20^th century, but also by the sensational Mediterranean colours.

Today, the Cote d’Azur continues to attract a string of both established and emerging artists to its shores, lured here for similar reasons that the legendary artists of the 20^th century were attracted  – Namely the beauty, nostalgia and vibrancy of the colours.

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