Art Museums in Nice

Once you see the wonderful light of the South of France, you realize why so many artists have made their home here. The landscape is one of the azure blue seas, bright white houses and the vibrant colors of the region. Take the opportunity to sample the artists’ museums in and around Nice with suggestions for where to eat so you can enjoy a day out.

Matisse Museum, Niza

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+33 4 93 81 08 08

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The work of Henri Matisse (1860-1954) shines with the colors of the Mediterranean Sea and inspires the joie de vivre of his paintings. He came to Nice in 1916 and settled in leafy Cimiez in the Nice hills for the rest of his life, living in the nearby Regina building at 71 bd de Cimiez.

The museum itself is housed in a magnificent ^17th -Century Genoese villa, painted in ocher tones of sienna. You walk through the rooms seeing how his work evolved from his more studied and relatively gloomy art through the influence of Cézanne, his work as the founder of Fauvism, to the wonderful ‘cuts’ he made after he was bedridden later in his life. lifetime. There are sculptures, photographs by the artist, and sketches and models for his Chapelle du Rosaire in nearby Vence.

In northern France, the Matisse Museum at Le Cateau-Cambrésis is a real find. Henri Matisse, who was born in the city, chose works to donate to the museum. Afterward, enjoy a visit to one of Nice’s amazing little bistros.

Marc Chagall Museum

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+33 4 93 53 87 20

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In 1966, Marc Chagall gave 17 large canvases from his Biblical Messages series that included 5 versions of The Song of Songs to form the heart of the museum. The second gift in 1972 brought all the preparatory sketches, so you can see the complete work from conception to completion. More items were added, making this the largest collection of his work and a must see for fans of Chagall. Afterward, visit a local bistro for coffee and a snack.

Picasso Museum, Antibes

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+33 4 92 90 54 28

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The Château Grimaldi, which Picasso used as a study in 1946, stands on ramparts overlooking the sea. In the distance, you see the mega yachts of the mega rich as the sea laps against the rocks below. The windows lend a pearly light to the wonderful collection of Picasso ceramics and the drawings, paintings and prints that fill the small stone-walled rooms.

The museum also has some surprising and surprising works by Nicolas de Stael from the last two years of his short life, in addition to paintings by Max Ernst, Fernand Léger, and Juan Mirò.

Then visit Les Vieux Murs. Right on the ramparts and a couple of minutes walk from the Picasso Museum, with terrace, seasonal menu and good reputation.

Alternatively, head to the covered market just behind the museum and eat at one of the little cafes with the locals.

National Museum Fernand Leger, Biot

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+33 4 92 91 50 20

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Just southeast of the charming hilltop village of Biot, the museum is housed in a grim and imposing building designed by Russian architect Andrei Svetchine in 1960. Specially built to house a large collection of works by Fernand Léger, it The first thing you see is the huge ceramic mosaic that decorates the eastern façade.

Within the collections it consists of more than 450 works, from sketches to paintings, sculptures and mosaics. Organized strictly chronologically, it shows Léger’s progression from Impressionism to Cubism and his extraordinary later works with his robot-like geometric style.

Afterwards, visit La Buvette du Jardin, open from April to the end of October, in the museum garden is a good bet, with excellent salads, savory cakes, sandwiches and pastries.

Maeght Foundation, St-Paul-de-Vence

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This is an exception to the other museums here; It’s the collection of Aime and Marguerite Maeght, renowned Cannes art dealers who also befriended artists like Chagall and Matisse. So the collection is a mixed bag, but it ranks among the best small museums in the world. If you are lucky enough to stay in the charming fortified village of St-Paul-de-Vence, it is only a few minutes away.

It is beautifully designed, surrounded by lush gardens, with light flooding inside, to illuminate works such as the slender figures of Alberto Giacometti, the colorful paintings of Chagall, pastoral scenes from Bonnard who lived in Provence for the last 22 years of his life, and Works by Joan Miró, Calder and contemporary international artists.

Book well in advance, especially in summer, for a memorable experience at La Colombe d’Or. This was where all the artists living in the south of France gathered, and today he has a rather distinguished list of guests. You sit in a dining room surrounded by valuable works of art, or on the shaded terrace.

Renoir Museum, Haut-de-Cagnes

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+33 4 93 20 61 07

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In Haut-de-Cagnes, just above the main part of Cagnes-sur-Mer, this is one of the quietest and most discreet museums in the area. At Renoir’s house, now the museum, you are greeted by the sound of birdsong among the olive, orange and lemon trees that shade the garden where his large bronze sculpture, Venus Victrix, stands. Renoir came to the south of France when he began to suffer from arthritis and lived here from 1903 until his death in 1919.

Inside the house, furniture and personal items are left as they were when Renoir lived here. When you enter the workshop, the feeling of the artist’s presence is so great that you expect to see him at his easel.

The museum has 11 of his paintings from the final period of his life, as well as works by his friends Pierre Bonnard and Raoul Dufy.

Afterwards, try Josy-Jo’s, the attractive restaurant simply decorated with stone walls and terrace, known for grills and Provencal dishes.