Musée Matisse in Nice – the red villa among the olive trees in Cimiez

Henri Matisse lived in Nice from 1917 until his death in 1954. In a Genoese villa dating from the 17th century in Cimiez, nearly 600 works that he and his heirs gave to the city are on display – from the 1890s to the late paper cut-outs.

At the top of the hill of Cimiez, above central Nice, lies an olive grove with the remains of a Roman city on one side and a red-painted villa on the other. The villa houses the Musée Matisse. Henri Matisse lived and worked in Nice from 1917 until his death in 1954, and most of the collection consists of gifts from himself and his heirs.

01Villa des Arènes – the consul's palace from 1685

Construction of the villa began in 1670 and was completed in 1685. At the time, it was called Palais Gubernatis after its builder, Jean-Baptiste Gubernatis, consul in Nice. It received its current name, Villa des Arènes, in 1950, when the city bought it from a property company to preserve it.

02From 1963 to the new wing in 1993

The Musée Matisse was founded in 1963 and was then only given the first floor. On the ground floor was the archaeological museum of Nice-Cimiez. In 1989, the archaeological museum moved to a new building right among the ruins of the Roman city of Cemenelum, and the Matisse Museum was able to expand. It was closed for four years for renovation and extension and reopened in 1993 with a new modern wing. Only then could the entire permanent collection be displayed.

Insider tip

Closed on Tuesdays.

03From Figure à l'ombrelle to Nu bleu IV: the collection

According to Wikipedia, the collection comprises 68 paintings and gouaches, 236 drawings, 218 prints, 57 sculptures and 14 illustrated books by Matisse. In addition, there are 95 photographs and 187 objects that belonged to the artist, as well as tapestries, ceramics and stained glass. The Nice tourist office sums it up as almost 600 works.

Among the works that are usually highlighted are Figure à l'ombrelle from 1905, Tempête à Nice from 1919–1920, Odalisque au coffret rouge from 1927, Nymphe dans la forêt from 1936–1938, Nature morte aux grenades from 1947, a study for the stained-glass window L'Arbre de vie from 1950 and the late paper cut-outs Nu bleu IV and La Vague from 1952. In 2025, the museum received Nature morte à la statuette africaine as a gift, according to the French Wikipedia.

04Alex Katz in Cimiez – autumn and winter 2026

The museum was closed from 29 September to 20 October 2026 to prepare a new exhibition. On 28 October, Alex Katz – Le silence de la peinture opens, running until 18 January 2027, according to the Nice tourist office.

05Cimiez around the museum

The museum is located on avenue des Arènes de Cimiez, in the olive grove in Cimiez Park. The archaeological museum and the ruins of Cemenelum are right next door. Down on the seafront stands the Negresco, and more destinations along the coast can be found among our Riviera guides on metromode.co.

Source: Nice Côte d'Azur Tourist Office. The ticket office closes 30 minutes before closing time. Closed 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.

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