Musée National Marc Chagall Nice

Situated on the south east coast of the French Riviera, Nice is one of the most beautiful and sophisticated regions in the world. It’s the second-largest city in the Provence-Alpes Cote d’Azur after Marseille. And it’s often referred to as the Queen of the French Riviera.

Art and culture in Nice

Artistic treasures are plentiful in Nice. Some gems you’ll find discreetly tucked away in peaceful gardens, up craggy hillsides, and even atop ancient ruins. Others are scattered along the Mediterranean seascape. One remarkable treasure, perched high above Nice, is Cimiez Hill, a wealthy neighborhood. From this extraordinary vantage point, you’ll get wonderful views over the azure Mediterranean Sea.

Musée National Marc Chagall

At the foot of Cimiez Hill is the Musée National Marc Chagall. The museum pays homage to the talents and philanthropic generosity of the great Franco-Russian artist. It is an extraordinary art museum and house the largest public collection of Chagall’s works in the world. It includes seventeen masterpieces entitled The Biblical Message which Chagall donated to the French state in 1966. Chagall bestowed a staggering 250 works to the museum in 1972 and kept adding to the collection right up until his death in 1985. Other collectors have also bequeathed Chagall and there have been acquisitions, purchases and loans from other art venues.

With the collaboration of Marc Chagall, the museum’s architectural design includes a large airy, polygon shaped room. It was inaugurated in 1973 in his presence. Here the first of twelve biblical message interpretations are exhibited. They are inspired by the first two books of the Old Testament: Genesis and Exodus. The remaining five wall-size paintings – The Song of Songs explodes in fiery reds, telling the story of Solomon. All seventeen masterpieces render powerful spiritual and religious stories told through Marc Chagall’s artistic color, passion, and whimsical symbols.

Chagall’s legacy

The Musée Marc Chagall is a must see for art lovers. Its peaceful and light filled environment is a perfect arena to discover the artist’s imaginative style. Several decades of Chagall’s artistic career are revealed here, from 1903 -1985. Chagall, though born in Russia, spent much of his life in France, living and working in Paris and the south of France, where he is buried in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, not far from Nice.

J.Christina is the blogger behind www.scribblesandsmiles.net. Blogging from the Midwest, J. Christina, and her husband, Mr. Christie, share their European trips so others can travel vicariously through their scribbles and images.