Some tend to believe the Matisse Museum in Nice does not display the most prized works of the artist. The museum is, however, an imperative stop for all connoisseurs who want to piece out the trajectory of the life and work of Henri Matisse.
The famed artist moved to Nice in 1917 and died here 37 years later (in 1954). A part of his artistic legacy was donated to the city of Nice by Matisse himself and by his heirs. At present, the heritage, which consists chiefly of the works created during Matisse’s stay in Nice, can be admired at the Matisse Museum. Besides the permanent collection, visitors might also appreciate the temporary theme exhibitions.
The museum, set up in 1963 in the so-called Villa Genoise and reopened in 1993, is located in Cimiez, a tranquil hilly region in north Nice, near the Archeological Museum of Nice-Cimiez (with which it shared the same building until 1989).