Some of the most exquisite examples of Renoir's celebrated landscapes were painted following his move to Cagnes in 1907. Renoir and his family relocated to Cagnes for the health benefits of its warm climate and the move had the additional effect of revitalising his artistic output. Renoir and his family lived in a house called Les Collettes, which looked out onto picturesque olive groves, Cagnes-sur Mer and, beyond that, Cap d’Antibes and the Mediterranean Sea. The beautiful works that Renoir produced at this t.mes testify to his spiritual contentment and renewed artistic inspiration.

Paysage du midi was painted in the immediate environs of his home. Verdant vegetation lines the foreground of the picture, and behind it stand trees comprising densely packed brushstrokes of vivid yellow, blue, crimson and green. The composition draws the viewer in and around, the organic shapes of the trees and plants brilliantly evoked by the energetic brushwork that weaves and dances across the canvas. The accomplished accents of white, cream and warm yellow pigment demonstrate the artist’s mastery at capturing the nuances of natural light – in this case, the effects of the warm, Provencal sun that shows off the beautiful landscape in all its glory.