Henri Matisse was one of the most important artists of the 20th century, a master of color who brought classical French painting into the modern era. His work can be seen in museums and galleries around the world, but it might best be appreciated in Nice, the city he called home from 1918 to 1954. The Matisse Museum is located on the hill of Cimiez, near the ruins of Cemenelum, and it matches its beautiful setting with one of the most impressive art collections in all of Europe. Established in 1963 as a gift from the artist and his heirs to the people of Nice, the spacious museum features dozens of works by Matisse throughout his long, prolific career, from his 1898 painting Maisons a Fenouillet, a loving depiction of a rustic home, to his 1909 bronze sculpture Le Serpentine, featuring a woman in deep contemplation. There are some of his personal items on display as well, such as his table of paints and paintbrushes, along with the work of other French artists such as Auguste Rodin, who predated Matisse in France by just one generation. But perhaps the most striking work is the 1919 painting Tempête à Nice (pictured), which depicts a rainy day on the French Riviera. He manages to convey more about the city in a few brush strokes than a camera ever could. Starwood has three hotels in the Nice area, including Le Méridien Nice.
[image via musee-matisse-nice.org]
SPG.com

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