Housed in an elegant Italian Renaissance-inspired villa, the Museum of Fine Arts of Nice houses a remarkable collection of valuable paintings, drawings and sculptures. Visitors can also discover a particularly rich collection of works by the painter and poster artist Jules Chéret.
From the Second Empire to the 20th century
Napoleon III, on the occasion of the annexation of Nice in 1860, wished to enhance culture by establishing a state deposit. Unfortunately, no premises were available at the time to showcase the works that once cohabited with the archives and the municipal library, before finding refuge in several successive buildings.
In 1925, the city of Nice acquired a villa of Italian Renaissance inspiration, built at the end of the 19th century, and carried out major works there. The Museum of Fine Arts was inaugurated in 1928 under the name of Palais des Arts, Musée Jules Chéret.
The original deposit is enriched by numerous donations from private collectors. Félix Ziem, Mrs Dufy, the Mossa family, Maurice Fenaille among others have contributed to the setting up of the collections we know today.
Sculptures, paintings and drawings
The Museum of Fine Arts has an important collection of works that retrace the history of art from the 16th to the 20th century.
The museographic journey shows a real evolution in the fields of painting and sculpture. The themes addressed are varied, from the work of color to the use of light and underline a passage from classical painting to the dynamism and modernity desired by 20th century artists.
The collections of paintings and sculptures focus on well-known artists. For example, the Italian Renaissance is represented by artists such as the painter Bronzino or Bernardo Zenal, a painter and architect of the 16th century. Jan Brueghel de Velours evokes the richness of the Flemish Renaissance of the 17th century. Visitors will also be able to discover works by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, an 18th century Rococo painter, but also by the Orientalist painter and sculptor Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, and will finish their immersion into the history of art by discovering more recent artists such as Jules Chéret or Raoul Dufy.
Practical information
Prepare your visit to the Museum of Fine Arts of Nice:
- Opening days: open from Tuesday to Sunday (closed on Monday). Closed on January 1, Easter Monday, May 1 and December 25.
- Schedule: from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from May to October inclusive, and from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from November to April inclusive
- Address: 33, av des Baumettes, 06000 Nice
- Website: https://www.nice.fr/fr/culture/musees-et-galeries/musee-des-beaux-arts
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