28/10/2026
Went to see “Painting the French Riviera” at the Royal Academy (2 October 2026 until 31 January 2027). Curious to see it because of the subject, the artists included and…the mixed reviews. The exhibition explores how the dazzling light, deep blue skies, and intense primary colours of the Côte d’Azur completely transformed modern art over a 90-years period. It includes over 160 paintings, sculptures, drawings, and mid-century travel posters tracking the region’s artistic evolution from the 1870s through the 1960s. It highlights how the Mediterranean landscape inspired artists like Claude Monet and Picasso’s, both active in Antibes, Henri Matisse painting from his hotel room in Nice, and masterpieces from Cézanne, Renoir, Signac, and Nice-born Yves Klein, with his intense blue creations. I loved it!