When he passed away in Nice in 1954, the famous French painter Henri Matisse bequeathed a considerable body of work to 20th-century art, and was a major influence on artists in the second half of the century. In 1963, the city of Nice paid tribute to the pioneer of Fauvism, who spent most of his life on the French Riviera, by opening a museum that today houses one of the world's most extensive collections of his works.
Based in the Villa des Arènes, a superb Genoese house built in the 17th century and painted in Mediterranean colours, located in the Arènes Park in Cimiez, the Matisse Museum documents the development of the artist's work and his exploration of colour and graphics. It offers an abundant and eclectic selection of paintings and gouache cut-outs, drawings, etchings and sculptures, as well as photographs and objects that once belonged to Henri Matisse.
At the end of your visit, take the time to enjoy a walk in the idyllic setting of the gardens on Cimiez hill, where the famous painter liked to walk among the olive trees and Roman ruins.
