On the French Riviera, retracing Matisse’s footsteps matisse “When I realized I would see that light every morning, I could not believe my happiness.” Saint-Dalmas- Matisse and the Côte d’Azur, le-Selvage ITALIE / PIÉMONT the alchemy of a passion Saint-Etienne-de-Tinée Isola When the 48-year-old Henri Matisse discovered Nice, the Saint-Sauveur- sur-Tinée encounter felt like a revelation. The quality of the daylight and the Roure Rimplas sparkling Mediterranean awoke such echoes in the master colourist Saint-Martin-Vésubie that he remained loyal and unshakeably devoted to the Côte d’Azur Roubion Valdeblore ever after. The painter was to live almost 40 years in the region Belvédère Venanson around Nice, and drew from it an inspiration which is to be seen Ilonse Marie Roquebillière in work of great sensitivity, dedicated to meaning and beauty. La Bollène Clans Vésubie Bairols La Tour- From Nice, where he lived for 27 years, to Eze, Saint-Jean-Cap- sur-Tinée Lantosque ALPES Ferrat, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Beaulieu-sur-Mer, and Cagnes-sur- DE HAUTE-PROVENCE Tournefort Mer, not forgetting his encounters with Renoir in retirement at Utelle Vence during the war, Matisse set his flamboyant imprint on this Duranus light-filled and richly coloured land. Levens Coaraze ITALIE / LIGURIE La Roquette-sur-Var Nice Côte d’Azur invites you to inspect the unparalleled riches of Saint-Martin-du-Var Saint-Blaise our land as you review this Modern Master’s inspired career, Castagniers Tourrette-Levens teeming with creativity. Carros Saint-André- Aspremont de-la-Roche Saint-Jeannet Falicon Colomars La Trinité Cap d’Ail Eze Vence La Gaude Beaulieu- Nice sur-Mer Saint-Laurent- du-Var Villefranche- Saint-Jean- e sur-Mer Cap-Ferrat i h Christian ESTROSI p Cagnes-sur-Mer a r g i d E Mayor of Nice y B President of Nice Côte d’Azur Cover “When I realized I would see that light every morning, I could not believe my happiness.” VAR Quoted by Georges Salle, in the preface to the exhibition catalogue Henri Matisse, Nice, 1950 « Nu Bleu IV » (Blue Nude IV), 1952 Gouache paper cut-out, charcoal sketch, 103 x 74 cm, Matisse Museum, Nice Design and conception Direction des Musées de France, Jean Matisse donation, on loan from the State, 1978 Communication Dept. and Photo: François Fernandez © Succession Henri Matisse Tourism for economic Photo: Rauba Capeu, Nice © Olivier Monge, 2003 development Dept. - 2012 vence Not to be missed Matisse in Vence ■ The historic town Villa Le Rêve in 1943 and today With its elliptical layout, Vence is “This work has taken me four years of one of the few towns to have n o i t preserved its ramparts, against c e l l o C which people were allowed to constant exclusive work; it is the result t n a d A build their houses starting in the e n è l é 15th-century stalls. The of my entire active life.” H - y r a (June 1951, letter by Matisse read by Father Couturier at the inauguration of the Chapel, r mediaeval town offers many b i L L’Art Sacré y then printed in , no.11-12, July-August 1951) k interesting sights: picturesque s n i d n a streets, fountains (including K , e r t n Fontaine du Peyra), the former e C In 1943, Matisse rented Villa Le visits from Picasso, Aragon, Breton u o bishop’s palace and the Villeneuve d i p m Rêve in Vence to get away from and Bonnard. This beautiful o castle-Fondation Émile Hugues. P Nice, under threat of bombing. house, which has belonged to the © He planned to stay only a few town since 2000, is now a home ■ Cathedral of Vence dedicated to Notre-Dame de la Nativité weeks, but, deeply touched by the for established artists and also for amateurs who enrol for courses First built in the 4th century on the site of an ancient Roman and have the opportunity to temple, the Cathedral acquired its e s s express their art in the i t a present form in the 12th century. M i r surroundings which captivated n e It has many listed remains, a H n o i Matisse. The importance of the s mosaic by Marc Chagall s e c c u presence of artists in Vence starting S representing ‘Moses Saved from © y r d the Water’ (baptistery), splendid in the 20th century incited the u A . J y 15th-century stalls and 17th, 18th b Château de Villeneuve- h p a r and 19th-century wooden g o Fondation Émile Hugues , in t o h P polychrome statues. e s s i 1992, to become a haven for t a M The historic town of Vence i r n modern and contemporary art on e H n o i s the French Riviera. A donation by s e c c u S the Matisse family has just enriched © - e c the collection. A visit to the i N f o y t i Foundation in its fine 14th-century C : o t o h lordly chateau quite naturally leads P Nature morte aux grenades to exploring the lovely historic (Still life with pomegranates), 1947 oil on canvas, 80.5 x 60 cm - Matisse Museum, Nice town of Vence. Strollers can admire the well-preserved ramparts prevailing light and the charm of with five remaining gates, narrow his home, with its terrace and streets and houses that have flowers, “the fine plumes of its survived the ravages of time, r e y e m z palm trees that fill the windows,” squares and fountains and ancient t n i Z . D / he remained five years. In Vence, Roman inscriptions. e c n e V f Matisse went to see his friends o y t i C Gide and Rouveyre, and received © vence model for him, to decorate the Here, Matisse painted: Rosary Chapel . The painter had Femme à la robe blanche (Woman in a white dress) - Intérieur rouge (Red interior) - first thought only of the Nature morte sur table bleue (Still life on blue table) - La liseuse à la table windows. But he ended up jaune (Woman reading at a dressing table, Matisse Museum collection Nice) - Nature morte working on the very design and aux grenades (Still life with pomegranates, Matisse Museum collection Nice) - Jazz (Matisse the completion of the Rosary Museum collection Nice) - Les Abeilles (Bees, Matisse Museum collection Nice) . Chapel. This realization is his spiritual will. A major work he enjoyed calling his masterpiece, Rosary Chapel, Vence Altar, and Things to know e Virgin and Child Way of the Cross s s i t a “despite all its imperfections,” M i ■ Rosary Chapel r n e a place one cannot visit without H 466, Avenue Henri-Matisse n o i s s e emotion. As you walk along the Tel: +33 (0)4 93 58 03 26 c c u e S s e-mail: [email protected] s i © Boulevard Henri Matisse, all that t - a o M e m e s l s é can be seen of the Chapel is the i O s t l u a ■ Château de Villeneuve - e M M D . i - r H e blue-and-white tile roof and tall n y c e i Fondation Émile Hugues b H N o f n t o o o i h y wrought-iron cross. Once inside, s A haven for modern and t P s i e C c : c o u t contemporary art o the beauty S Rosary Chapel, Vence - The spire h P of the volumes defined by © 2, Place du Frêne Tel: +33 (0)4 93 24 24 23 . Matisse, solid white, simple and Some time before leaving Vence, Closed Mondays, open from 10am to Matisse agreed, out of friendship pure on the floor, walls and 12:30pm and from 2pm to 6pm. for the Dominican Sister Jacques ceiling are fascinating. Guided visits available. Email: Marie who had once posed as a Lemon yellow (light), [email protected] e s www.museedevence.com s i t a M Rosary Chapel, Vence i r n e ■ Villa Le Rêve Sanctuary with stained-glass window, altar and H Saint Dominic n o i s 261, avenue Henri Matisse, visible from s e c c u the road to the Chapelle du Rosaire. S © - No visits. Weekly painting classes n i ç n o P offered, with lodging from April to s i o ç n October, without lodging from a r F o t November to March. More information o h P on www.villalerevevence.com Purple chasuble for the season of Advent and Lent Collection Château de Villeneuve/ ■ Tourist Bureau Fondation Émile Hugues (Office de Tourisme de Vence) Donated by Sister Jacques-Marie Place du Grand Jardin (06140) Tel: +33 (0)4 93 58 06 38 bright green (plant life), pure e-mail: [email protected] www.vence.fr ultramarine blue (the Mediter - e s ■ s ranean sky) give the stained glass How to get there i t a M i By car: approximately 20km from Nice r frank colours that transcend the n e H to Vence n o i light. Everything here is sublime s s e Public transport by coach: Lines 400 & c c u harmony, majestic simplicity, so S 94, stop: Halte Routière de l’Ara . © - o visitors can feel, in Matisse’s own m www.lignesdazur.com l O l e D words, “purified and relieved of .