Settled on the heights of Nice since 1963, the Matisse museum is located in a place full of history, in the middle of several ancient archeological vestiges. The Villa des Arènes, which houses the facility, provides a remarkable setting for the museum’s works. Formerly the Gubernati Palace, named after the consul of Nice, who had it built in the 17th century, the Villa des Arènes seduces with its elegant red facade pierced by numerous windows, and its rooms with luxurious decorations. Discover the life and works of a remarkable painter, leader of Fauvism and world-renowned artistic genius.
Musée Matisse vue extérieure|
A meeting with an iconoclastic artist
Matisse Museum
Henri Matisse and Fauvism
Born December 31st, 1869 in Cateau-Cambrésis, in the north of France, Henri Matisse is a complete artist. This French painter, draftsman, sculptor and engraver is one of the leaders of Fauvism, who defends the reign of color. For Henri Matisse and the other Fauvist painters, color must take precedence over reality. The paintings display exacerbated colors, used pure and arbitrarily: a tree can thus be blue, yellow, red, according to the artist’s desire. Many works created by the proponents of Fauvism present deliberately simplified forms.
Matisse Museum in Nice
The Matisse Museum consists of the Villa des Arènes, an ancient Genoese mansion which owes its name to the proximity of many ancient ruins, including the city’s ancient Roman arena, and an extension built at the end of the 20th century by the architect Jean-François Bodin, following a move of the Archeological Museum to a dedicated site. The latter, inaugurated in 1993, houses a reception area, a bookstore and an auditorium. Since 2002, the museum has had an educational workshop. A cabinet des dessins (collection of drawings) was also added to the cultural offer in 2003. The Matisse Museum has been awarded the “Musée de France” label, a designation awarded according to strict criteria and which testifies to the support of the State.
Nice’s Matisse Museum is located right next to the Parc Cimiez: take the time to stroll through the gardens and admire the roses in the rose garden in spring and summer.
A remarkable collection
The heart of the Matisse Museum’s collection is composed of masterpieces and works of art by the artist. In 2020, the museum houses 31 paintings, 38 cut-out gouaches, 236 drawings, 218 engravings, 57 sculptures, and 14 illustrated books.
But Henri Matisse did not consider his studio as a simple place of production, he also saw it as the engine of his inspiration. He was a particularly demanding and prolific collector who wanted to compose a setting worthy of his creative genius. The museum now houses 130 objects that include furniture, textiles and various other accessories. Visitors will also be able to discover photographs of the artist at work, taken by renowned photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, André Ostier, Lucien Hervé, Brassaï and Hélène Adant. In all, there are 333 photographs in the photographic collection.
Numerous donations contribute to the enrichment of the collections, such as the donation of drawings from the Pierre and Maria Gaetana Matisse collection in 2006, or the donation of graphic works from the Claude and Barbara Duthuit collection.
Works and masterpieces
The Matisse Museum recounts the entire life of the artist by offering visitors masterpieces, but also little-known paintings, drawings and engravings. The Portrait of Madame Matisse, one of the founding works of Fauvism, is on display. Various works of the 1930s are also on display, such as Tahiti I (1935) and La Verdure (1935-1943). Henri Matisse never stopped creating, and the museum preserves, in Nice, some of his last works such as Fleurs et Fruits (1952-1953), one of the largest that can be admired in Europe.
Other masterpieces by Matisse are on display at the Museum. The Serf, a bronze sculpture created between 1900 and 1903, shows another aspect of Matisse’s work. It is also the artist’s only male nude.
Exhibitions and events
Exhibitions, facilities and events continue to enlighten visitors about the life and work of Henri Matisse, as well as his immense influence on the art world. We can mention, for example, the exhibition Matisse and Picasso, the Comedy of the Model, which took place in 2018, or The Object in Matisse’s Work in 2009. Between February and March 2020, Matisse Métamorphoses focused on the work of transforming the figure into variations by series.
In 2024, the Musée Matisse will host two temporary exhibitions: one devoted to the painter Djamel Tatah, the other to the relationship between Henri Matisse and Joan Miró.
Practical information
- Visiting time: at least 1 or 2 hours
- Opening days: the museum is open every day of the year except Tuesday. The museum is closed on 1 January, 1 May, 25 December and Easter Sunday.
- Schedule: from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from November 1 to April 30, and from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from May 2 to October 31. The bookshop and shop are open from 10am – 2pm / 3pm – 5pm.
- Address: 164, Avenue des Arènes de Cimiez, 06000 Nice
- Access: Avenue des Arènes de Cimiez, Boulevard de Cimiez, Avenue du Monastère or Place du Monastère.
- Accessibility: facilities for people with reduced mobility
- Website:http://www.musee-matisse-nice.org/
Visits to the Matisse Museum in Nice are free of charge:
- For residents of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolitan Area aged 18 and over
- For visitors under 18
- For disabled visitors
- Beneficiaries of certain social benefit
You can buy a Pass that gives you access to many of Nice’s museums and art galleries for 4 days.
