Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) settled in the south, more precisely in the medieval Provencal village of Avignon, in 1914, at the beginning of the First World War. Of Spanish origin, the painter was not required to join the French army like some of his contemporaries, which allowed him to spend the war years painting. He also moved to the French Riviera at the beginning of World War II, taking refuge in the Château Grimaldi in Antibes. 
His repeated stays in the region impacted his practice considerably: in 1947, he attended a pottery exhibition in Vallauris and fell in love with the art of ceramics. He spent the next seven years practicing in the Madoura studio, creating plates, bowls and vases that are now emblematic of this period of his life. The artist owned sumptuous properties in the south of France, including La Californie, Château Vauvenargues and Mas Notre-dame-de-Vie in Mougins, where he spent the last 12 years of his life. Today, many museums commemorate Picasso's contribution to the community of artists in the south of France, such as the Musée Picasso in Antibes, housed in the Château Grimaldi, and the Musée National Picasso in Vallauris.