The Matisse Museum (or Musée Matisse) houses a splendid assortment of works by Henri Matisse. Its permanent collection is displayed in a red-ochre 17th-century Genoese villa overlooking the olive tree-studded Parc des Arènes. Nearby is the Hotel Regina where Matisse lived. Temporary exhibitions are hosted in the futuristic basement building.
The reception hall of the museum is dominated by a colorful paper cutout frieze entitled Flowers and Fruits , designed by Matisse for the inner courtyard of a Californian villa in 1953. Attracted by the weather, scenery and proximity of his friends (Picasso, Renoir and Bonnard lived in neighboring towns), Henri Matisse wintered in Nice until his death in Cimiez in 1954. Well known pieces in the permanent collection include his paper cut-outs of Blue Nude IV and Woman with Amphora.
Located north of the city of Nice, in the hills of Cimiez, catch bus 15, 17, 20, 22 or 25 from the central bus station just outside the old town and alight at Les Arenes/Musée. Museum entry is free but if you would like a guided tour there is a charge.
