FRANCE: In the Footsteps of the Great Artists published by the great house, Thames & Hudson is a must.

In this beautifully illustrated new book, art historian and culture & travel journalist Nick Trend presents twelve itineraries around France that each highlight an artist or group of artists, taking readers into their world, in and out of palaces, grand residences, and artist’s studios to admire their masterpieces.

The locations spotlighted in the book include Versailles and portraitist Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun; the Provence of Cézanne and Van Gogh; the French Riviera, where Picasso made his home for six months; and Jazz Age Paris, where Lois Mailou Jones and Archibald John Motley, Jr. set the city alight. With high quality reproductions of artworks and photographs of city streets, museum galleries, country villages, and seaside towns, FRANCE: In the Footsteps of the Great Artists brings to life memorable episodes from the artists’ often turbulent lives as they pursued their passions.

This book is generously illustrated and an excellent art history and travel guide that will appeal to Francophiles and armchair travelers alike.