The French Riviera in the 1920s | Assouline

The French Riviera was the center of creativity during the 1920s and early ’30s. Artists and writers from the far reaches of the world gathered to fashion a new way of life—among them Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Gerald and Sara Murphy, Picasso, Picabia, Stravinsky, Cocteau, Diaghilev, and Anna de Noailles. A photobiography of this carefree era, The French Riviera in the 1920s revitalizes the now-legendary tale of these mythic personalities caught between a desire for creation, the quest for happiness, and the looming darkness of World War II. With extraordinary images taken from personal archives, these pages depict firsthand the lifestyles and artwork of some of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Writer Xavier Girard is an art historian and critic, essayist, and professor of art history. A Chevalier of Arts and Letters, he has also directed and curated numerous artistic events. His previously published books with Assouline include The Mediterranean: From Homer to Picasso (2001); Bauhaus (2003); and Paris in the 1920s with Kiki de Montparnasse (2012). He also published L’Oursin and Trois hommes dans un jardin with André Dimanche. Since 2008, he has also dedicated himself to sculpture and photography.