Archive · 1 Oct 2026
Royal Academy Exhibition Brings Summer Light Back To Life
Summer is ending, and the weather is becoming cooler.
The writer feels a little sad that the warm days are over.
They spent a day working in the garden and preparing it for spring flowers.
Some dahlias are still blooming, so they were left alone.
A new exhibition at the Royal Academy brought back memories of sunny days.
It is about artists who painted the French Riviera in southern France.
The exhibition includes more than 120 artworks and other materials.
The writer especially likes paintings by Claude Monet and Kees Van Dongen.
Books by Agatha Christie and F. Scott Fitzgerald are also displayed.
The changing weather has prompted reflections on summer ending and autumn arriving.
The writer spent a day preparing a garden for spring bulbs while leaving blooming dahlias in place.
The Royal Academy’s new exhibition, Painting the French Riviera, offers a reminder of summer.
The exhibition features more than 120 paintings, sculptures, drawings, films, books and travel posters.
Featured artists include Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Berthe Morisot, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and Yves Klein.
- Who
- The writer, the Royal Academy, and artists including Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Berthe Morisot, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Yves Klein and Kees Van Dongen.
- What
- A personal reflection on summer ending, gardening, and the Royal Academy exhibition Painting the French Riviera.
- When
- As summer turns to autumn; the exhibition is described as new, but no opening date is given.
- Where
- The Royal Academy and the French Riviera, including the Côte d’Azur.
- Why
- The exhibition explores how the Riviera’s light, skies and sea inspired artists and provides a reminder of summer.
- Exhibition
- Painting the French Riviera
- Venue
- Royal Academy
- Exhibition contents
- More than 120 paintings, sculptures and drawings, plus film, books and travel posters
- Featured artists
- Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Berthe Morisot, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and Yves Klein
- Selected paintings
- Claude Monet’s The Beach of Juan-les-Pins (1888) and Kees Van Dongen’s The White Lady (1926)
- Displayed books
- Agatha Christie’s The Blue Train and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night
- Garden activities
- The writer pruned rose bushes, cleared summer plants and prepared soil for spring bulbs