The Riviera: A History in Pictures

Richard E Grant concludes his exploration of the French Riviera's artistic legacy by focusing on how art and celebrity became intertwined in the early part of the 20th century. Resident artists such as Picasso and Matisse found the sun-drenched landscape ideal for experimenting with their work, and as the region became a creative hub, the likes of novelist Jean Cocteau and ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev were drawn to the area. This artistic community also liked to party on the Cote d'Azur's beaches - a pastime that proved equally irresistible to the American multimillionaires arriving in the area on board transatlantic liners