1 Casino, Monte-Carlo
2 Corniche d'Or
3 Èze
4 Fondation Maeght, St-Paul-de-Vence
5 Îles de Lérins
6 MAMAC, Nice
7 Musée Matisse, Nice
8 Musée Océanographique, Monaco
9 Musée Picasso, Antibes
10 Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
Here in this handsome villa is a remarkable collection - a visual history of Matisse's works that spans his entire life and appeals to everyone.
Henri Matisse came to live in Nice in 1917 and, shortly before his death in 1954, he bequeathed his entire personal collection to the city. Together with a second, even bigger, donation from his wife in 1960 (including over 100 personal effects from his studio in the nearby Hôtel Regina), it formed the basis of a priceless collection that celebrates the life, work and influence of this great artist.
This worthy collection is housed in a striking mid-17th-century villa with a cleverly painted trompe-l'oeil façade, colonnaded staircases and Italianate terraces, all set in the midst of a large olive grove on a hill in the Cimiez district of Nice. The museum allows visitors an overview of Matisse's entire working life, starting with copies of Old Master paintings that he made during his apprenticeship, through an era of sober, dark-toned paintings of the 1890s (including his first personal painting, Nature Morte aux Livres, and Intérieur à l'Harmonium), his impressionist and fauvist phases (Jeune Femme à l'Ombrelle and Portrait of Madame Matisse), to the bright colours and simple shapes of his maturity, best portrayed in his decorative post-war paper cut-outs, silk-screen hangings, and works such as Nu Bleu IV and Nature Morte aux Grenades. The museum also boasts all the bronze sculptures that Matisse ever made, and the world's largest collection of his drawings and engravings, including his illustrations for James Joyce's novel Ulysses, and his powerful sketches and stained-glass models for the remarkable Chapelle du Rosaire at Vence. There are also three temporary exhibitions held every year.Address: 164 avenue des Arènes-de-Cimiez
Phone: 04 93 81 08 08
Open: Apr-Sep 10-6; Oct-Mar 10-5. Closed Tue and hols
Bus: 15, 17, 20, 22, 25
Train: Nice
Accessible: Very good
Admission: Moderate
Practical: Guided tours Wed 3pm except during school hols
| COUNTRY |
| France |
| REGION |
| French Riviera
|
| Viewing |
| Top Ten |
| What To See |
| Where To ... |
| Practical Matters |
| CITIES |
| Paris |
| Lyon |
| Nice |
| Strasbourg |
| MAPS |
| World |
| Europe |
| TRAVEL BOOK |
 |