FRANCE
March 1–8, 2021 from £2295 per person | with Sarah Burles
This tour will be led by Sarah Burles, MA, who studied History of Art at the University of Cambridge before going on to a career in museum and gallery education. This included 12 years at the Fitzwilliam Museum as well as work in other Cambridge museums. Sarah has a passion and enthusiasm for making art accessible, engaging and enjoyable.
The Port at Sunset, St Tropez, Opus 236 by Paul Signac
FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: A good level of fitness is required for this tour, as some visits will be made on foot and by boat. Participants must be prepared to navigate steps and walk for up to a mile at a time, occasionally uphill and on uneven ground. To access the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Nice participants are required to traverse a number of steps, as there is no ramp, and the museum does not have a lift to reach the first floor. The longest coach journey is to St Tropez, taking approximately 2 ½ hours, and we hope to return by boat (weather permitting), although this can be choppy if windy.
Art on the Côte d’Azur
• Visit museums dedicated to individual artists such as Matisse, Chagall, Picasso, Léger and Renoir • Find out what made these artists and others travel to the south of France to live and work • Experience the work of leading 20th century artists in the peaceful hillside setting of the Fondation Maeght
the Musée Matisse, Musée Renoir, Musée National Fernand Léger and Musée Chagall. The latter is home to the twelve great paintings that make up the Biblical Message series, whilst the Musée Renoir offers an opportunity to visit the house of this great artist, where he spent the final decade of his life. It houses a number of his paintings and sculptures, and boasts beautiful views towards the sea.
From the late 19th century onwards, the vivid colours of the Côte d’Azur, as well as the region’s mild climate and dramatic landscapes, captivated a succession of Europe’s leading artists.
The great strengths of the Musée de l’Annonciade in St Tropez are the collection of works by Signac and the neo-Impressionists, Bonnard and the Nabis, Matisse and the Fauves. Meanwhile, above the beautiful walled village of St Paul de Vence lies the Fondation Maeght, its pinewooded grounds adorned with work by Giacometti, Calder and Miró. The Foundation possesses one of Europe’s most important collections of 20th century painting, drawing and sculpture: Braque, Chagall, Léger and Calder are all represented.
Following in the footsteps of Cézanne, Monet and Renoir both visited the south of France in the 1880s, while Signac famously sailed into St Tropez harbour in 1892 and stayed, later building a house and inviting other artists to join him. Matisse arrived in Nice in 1917 and it was not long before his friend and rival Picasso joined him on the Côte d’Azur. During our week in Nice and its environs we will consider what drew these artists and others to the south of France and explore the legacy they left in the region: from Matisse’s stunning Chapelle du Rosaire to Picasso’s work at the former Château Grimaldi in Antibes and Jean Cocteau’s ‘Salle des Mariages’ at Menton. A number of these artists have museums dedicated to them, amongst which are
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We will stay throughout at the fourstar Hotel Nice Riviera, a comfortable modern hotel ideally situated in the heart of Nice close to the Promenade des Anglais. Please note that the itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time.
Day 1 Flight from London to Nice. Transfer to Hotel Nice Riviera for seven nights. Day 2 Morning lecture: The French Riviera – Art, Love & Life followed by walking tour of Nice. Afternoon: Musée des Beaux-Arts (Old Masters) and Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain. Day 3 Morning lecture: Matisse, Chagall & the Côte d’Azur followed by Musée Renoir. Afternoon: Musée Matisse and Musée Chagall (Biblical Message). Free evening. Day 4 Morning: Fondation Maeght (20th century art including Miró, Chagall, Matisse and Léger) and walk down the medieval Chemin Sainte-Claire to St Paul de Vence. Afternoon: Matisse’s celebrated Chapelle du Rosaire. Day 5 Menton: Salle des Mariages and Musée du Bastion. Afternoon: Villefranche-sur-Mer (Cocteau’s Chapelle de Saint Pierre des Pêcheurs). Day 6 Morning: Musée National Fernand Léger in Biot. Afternoon in Antibes: Musée Picasso (Château Grimaldi) followed by Château Vallauris (Picasso collection and chapel). Free evening. Day 7 By coach to St Tropez (favoured haunt of artists since the 1890s): walking tour of the old port, Musée de l’Annonciade (Bonnard, Braque, Maillol, Matisse and Signac) housed in former chapel of Pénitents Blancs. Return by boat and coach to Nice. Day 8 Flight from Nice to London.
Cost of £2295 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a classic twin or double bedded room, breakfast, one lunch, five dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities. Not included: travel insurance, classic double room for single use supplement £330. TOUR CODE: ARC121
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