Nice has more museums and galleries than any French city after Paris. This reflects the important role art has played in Nice, with many artists settling in or near the city. You could easily spend a short break or a whole week just visiting the main museums, the most notable being those of the artists Matisse and Marc-Chagall.
Matisse is considered one of the greatest artists of the 20th century and was noted for his use of colour, which had a huge influence on painters long after his death. The Russian-born Marc-Chagall was noted for his dreamlike, surrealist compositions. He moved to France in 1923 and spent most of his life there.
Most museums in Nice used to be free of charge but free admission is now limited to the first and third Sunday of each month. If you plan to visit a number of museums and galleries it makes sense to get a seven day pass which gives access to most of the city museums
Matisse Museum
Henri Matisse lived in Cimiez, a suburb of Nice, from 1917 until his death in 1954. His work during this period included the famous cut paper collages, often on a large scale, called gouaches découpés and include his Blue Nudes series.
The Musée Matisse is housed today in a splendid villa next to the Roman excavations. A large composition Flowers and Fruit, Matisse's last work in 1953, greets visitors while around 230 of his works, including many of his most famous canvasses and sculptures, make this a fine museum and a must for Matisse fans.
Marc Chagall Museum
The Musée Marc-Chagall, also in Cimiez, sits on a hilltop amongst trees and is the most important permanent collection of the artist's work. The building was designed to show off his work using the bright Mediterranean light.
Visitors are met by a multi-coloured tapestry while a highlight is the 17 canvasses that make up the Biblical Message. Another series of 12 paintings study the Creation of Man. The museum also features several sculptures and a large mosaic.
Museum of Fine Arts Jules-Cheret
The Musée des Beaux-Arts Jules-Chéret is housed in a sumptuous villa in the west of Nice, built originally for a Russian princess. It is one of the best of the smaller museums in France with a diverse collection.
Important works include Nice native Carle Van Loo's Theseus, Conqueror of the Bull at Marathon; a huge collection by Jules Chéret, who died in Nice in 1932; the famous Harem Servant by Trouillebert and the celebrated Dance of the Archangel and Pious Dream by Van Dongen. Amongst the many sculptures is the original plaster cast of Rodin's The Kiss.
The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art,
The Musée d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain consists of four square towers with glass passageways and terraces. It contains many works by artists that worked in the Nice area.
Archaeological Museum
The Musée Archéologique features many of the finds excavated at Cimiez as well as ceramics and bronzes from the Mediterranean civilisations. The Site Archéologique Gallo-Roman was the Roman settlement of Cemenelum and was thought to have had a population of 20,000 by the end of 2BC. It includes the Roman baths and is well worth a visit.
Asian Arts Museum
Designed by the Japanese architect Kenzo Tange, this museum is housed in a building of white marble and glass on an artificial lake. The museum covers the art of India, SE Asia, China and Japan. There's a range of activities, including the famous Tea Ceremony.
Chagall window
Matisse dance
Nice modern art
Matisse Museum
