Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Matisse Museum in Nice is dedicated to the work of French painter Henri Matisse. It is located in the Villa des Arènes, a 17th century Genoese villa located in the Cimiez district. This building, originally named Gubernatis Palace, was built between 1670 and 1685 for Jean-Baptiste Gubernatis, consul of Nice. The villa, bought by the City of Nice in 1950 to preserve it, became the framework of the Matisse museum in 1963, which then shared space with the archaeological museum.

In 1989, the archaeological museum was transferred to a new building, allowing the Matisse museum to expand. After four years of renovation and extension, it reopened in 1993 with a new modern wing. The collection, enriched by donations from Matisse himself, his heirs and state deposits, now includes 68 paintings, 236 drawings, 57 sculptures and many other works, providing a complete overview of the artist's career.

The Villa des Arenes, a typical Genoese architecture, was built on the remains of the Roman city of Cemenelum. In the 19th century, it became a summer residence and then an English pension, before being saved from the destruction by the City of Nice in 1950. The museum, in constant evolution, recently welcomed in 2025 a new major work, Nature morte à la statuette africaine, Matisse's first painting integrated into the collection since its creation.

The museum's collections reflect Matisse's various creative periods, from its beginnings to its latest works. Among the masterpieces exhibited are Nu bleu IV (1952), La Vague (1952), and Odalisque in the red boxbox (1927). These works, accompanied by photographs, personal objects and documents, make it possible to understand the creative method of the artist, marked by his long stay in Nice from 1917 to 1954.

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