The Musée Matisse is an art museum in Nice, on the Côte d'Azur in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. It is set in a 17th-century villa, and its rooms hold a collection of works by Henri Matisse, the painter who spent his final years in Nice.
What you will see
The museum is devoted to Matisse's work, and its collection is described as the largest of his works anywhere in the world. Because it covers his career, a visit lets you follow how his style changed over time, from early paintings to the later work he made in the city where he lived for much of his life.
Why visit
- It suits anyone interested in modern painting who wants to see a single artist's development in depth.
- The building itself, a 17th-century villa, gives the visit a setting different from a purpose-built gallery.
- It connects the art to the place: Nice is where Matisse spent his last years.
Around the museum
Nice is a seaside city, and the museum makes a natural part of a day spent exploring its streets and the coast. Pairing a visit with a walk through the surrounding area lets you combine art with the Mediterranean atmosphere that drew Matisse to the city.