Musée Matisse
Musée Matisse
One of the most famous artists of the 20th century
Along with Picasso, Matisse is considered one of the most outstanding artists of the so-called Classical Modernism. His colors and lines are characterized by tension, his works seem playful and light. With his oeuvre, Matisse directly influenced modern art, including the abstractionists and expressionists. The famous Picasso saw in Matisse an artist equal to him. At joint meetings, the two close friends exchanged views on art and philosophy. Picasso, who otherwise liked to hand out criticism towards Matisse, did not allow it in his circle of friends. Rather, he saw in Matisse's works something like the natural antithesis of his art - while Picasso sought to portray dissonance, for Matisse harmony was often the sustaining moment in his paintings.
The Villa des Arènes
The museum building was built at the end of the 17th century and was originally a middle-class residence. Then, at the beginning of the 20th century, it was sold to a private company. Finally, the city of Nice acquired the rights to the villa. At the time of its opening in 1963, the first floor of the house still housed an archaeological museum, which moved to another building in 1989. After extensive renovations, the Musée Matisse was reopened in 1993.
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The Musée Matisse in Nice (photo EQRoy / Shutterstock.com)[/caption]
Exhibitions and guided tours
With paintings, drawings, engravings and sculptures from all creative periods, visitors are shown the artistic career of Henri Matisse.Especially the works between the years 1917 and 1954 (the year of Matisse's death) characterize the current permanent collection. In addition, the French state as well as the artist's heirs have contributed a great deal to the development of the collection. Among others, the collection includes nearly 70 paintings, over 200 engravings and drawings as well as sketches, over 50 sculptures and much more. Ceramic products, tapestries and countless original documents from the artist's life complete the collection. Guided tours are offered in French, English, German and Italian.
