AH/LT 358 - Reading the City: Literature & Art in Nice

This introduction to Art History and Literature course will explore artistic movements linked with local history, starting with Baroque style architecture (XVII-XVIIIth c.) in Nice, then, studying a rich artistic heritage especially from the end of the XIXth to the XXth century : Paul Signac,  Auguste Renoir, Matisse, Picasso, Fernand Léger, Marc Chagall,  Jean Cocteau  and many others, as well as writers coming from different countries who lived and wrote there: Nietzsche,  Guy de Maupassant, Anton Tchekov, Romain Gary, Francis Scott Fitzerald.  

Through the combination of lectures, museum visits and discussions, the course will explore the way how these artists were inspired by the Mediterranean light and landscapes, how the creativity of these artists influenced Modern Art, also the interaction of different artists living there and as a result, the development of monographic museums and presence of art collectors.