Musée Matisse à Nice

Inaugurated in 1963 in the Villa des Arènes, the Matisse Museum houses the donations made to the City of Nice by Henri Matisse (1869-1954) and his heirs, i.e. nearly 600 works and 130 objects that belonged to the artist.

In addition to masterpieces such as Tempête à Nice (1919-1920), Odalisque au coffret rouge (1927), Nature morte aux grenades (1947), Danseuse créole (1950) and Nu Bleu IV (1952), the museum has the particularity of preserving almost all of the artist's sculptural work as well as an important collection of graphic works.

This rich collection is housed in a majestic 17th-century Genoese villa, which was renovated and enlarged between 1987 and 1993 by the architect Jean-François Bodin.

In the vast reception hall, the visitor is greeted by the monumental composition of cut-out gouache paper, Flowers and Fruit.

An immersive room also allows the visitor to "dive" into the ceramic of La Piscine, made after a composition in gouache paper cut-outs that decorated the dining room of Matisse's studio at the Régina.

The tour then follows the evolution of Matisse's work and reflects his deep attachment to Nice, where he spent most of his life.