Art Appreciation Tours

Art Appreciation Tour to the French Riviera... Exciting!

Based at the Villa "Les Mimosas" on the Shores of the Mediterranean...

Designed for groups of art enthusiasts and amateur painters from community art centers, this 10-day program offered in March, April, May, September, or October, features the great museums of the French Riviera and Provence including:

• In Antibes: Grand Re-opening of the Picasso Museum in July 2008 followed by a special Picasso Exhibit in 2009
• In Nice:  Matisse Museum, International Museum of Naïf Art, Marc Chagall Biblical Message Museum, Fine Arts Museum, Archaeological Museum
• St Paul de Vence:  Maeght Foundation
• Villefranche sur Mer:  Jean Cocteau Chapel
• Cagnes sur Mer :  Renoir Museum
• Aix en Provence :  Granet Museum and Cézanne Studio

Accompanied by an Art Historian, you will have personalized guided tours of the great museums.
From the end of the 19th century onwards, artists have been fascinated by the tranquil lifestyle and the great luminosity of the French Riviera:  Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Raymond Peynet, Chaim Soutine, Raoul Dufy, March Chagall, Pierre Bonnard, Jean Cocteau. . . 
 
To further your understanding and appreciation of great works of art, you will visit several sites on the French Riviera made famous by the paintings of these great artists.

• Antibes, Afternoon Effect by Claude Monet
• The Farm at Les Collettes by Pierre Auguste Renoir
• Mont Sainte Victoire by Paul Cézanne
• Night Fishing in Antibes by Picasso
• View of Grasse by Raoul Dufy
• Couple in The Blue Landscape by Marc Chagall
• Landscape at Le Cannet by Pierre Bonnard

...to name but a few.

Standing at the very spot where the great artists stationed themselves to create their masterpieces, you will discover for yourself the landscapes and special light that inspired them.

And have the opportunity to paint the same scene!

You will be welcomed for the duration of the tour in the sumptuous Villa “Les Mimosas” located on a promontory overlooking the Mediterranean Sea with 9 Bedrooms, Dining Room, Living Room, Kitchen, Terrasse, Veranda, and a lovely garden maintained by the caretakers in residence.  Take in that incredible “Mediterranean Blue” color of the sea from the veranda, sunbathe on the “terrasse” or enjoy the shade of the lemon trees in the garden.
 
A short walk will take you to a sandy beach.  A bit further and you are at a small fishing harbor lined by restaurants and cafés.    Inland, you’ll find hiking and biking routes of the beautiful Cape Esterel.
 
Discover your artistic side by painting one of the magnificent views!
 
Painting and Cooking classes will be offered at Villa “Les Mimosas” for interested individuals.