Artists and Their Museums On the Riviera

Rating:
Summary: The Mecca of Modern Art in France
Review: Barbara Freed takes us on a visit to the places along the Southeastern French coast from St. Tropez to Menton where now-celebrated artists have worked from the time of the pointillist Paul Signac onward. She also takes us to visit the very personal places where the likes of Renoir, Matisse, Chagall, Picasso and Cocteau lived and worked and where their work remains, often in such remarkably personal settings as their home, a museum dedicated to them, a chapel they decorated, and such.

Dr. Freed first came to know this corner of France in 1960, she writes, when her artist father and family spent a year in Vence (across the street from Henri Matisse). This book is a labor of love for her, and it shows.

Having lived in Nice for 3 years in the 1990s, we can attest to the quality of this book. It is a good guide to the artists and it is a good practical guide to visiting their marvelous museums along the Riviera, the Cote d'Azur. The price is modest. We recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent overview of the smaller artistic treasures
Review: I have visited some of the museums and locations mentioned in the book and Dr. Freed has managed to capture the essence and the feeling of the locales while, at the same time, provides an excellent insight into the artist and his time.

I thoroughly enjoyed the information and the descriptions. A larger format would have been a major enhancement but still I found it an excellent reference as well as a moving experience.