In the morning, Alpes Maritimes from Antibes

This sun-drenched landscape captures the coastal beauty of the French Riviera, looking toward the Maritime Alps from the town of Antibes. Australian artist John Russell painted this scene during his time in France, where he became friends with Vincent van Gogh and other pioneering artists. Russell was one of the few Impressionists who could afford to paint purely for pleasure, having inherited family wealth, which allowed him to experiment freely with color and light without worrying about selling his work.

The painting showcases Russell's bold approach to color, with patches of yellow, purple, and green suggesting wild vegetation and flowering bushes in the foreground. The distant mountains fade into soft blues and mauves, creating a dreamy atmospheric effect typical of morning light. Notice how Russell builds up the surface with thick, distinct brushstrokes, a technique he learned from his Impressionist contemporaries. Despite being less known today than some of his famous friends, Russell was highly respected in his time and played an important role in spreading Impressionist techniques, particularly his innovative use of color, which he later shared with young artists in Australia.