Henri Matisse, The Swimming Pool, 1952
In September I spent two weeks on holiday in the South of France. It is easy to see why so many artists were drawn here. The smell of the sun on the pine needles, the scent of the flowers, the stunning landscapes, the food and the wine…
The Côte d’Azur region is dotted with seaside towns and hilltop villages, many of which became home to artists. In this post I’m focusing on Henri Matisse and his life in Nice and Vence. The next one will cover Picasso and his time in Antibes and the third will focus on the Fondation Maeght, which turned out to be my art highlight of the holiday.
‘Most people come here for the light and the picturesque scenery. Me, I’m from the North. What fixed me on this place were the reflections of coloured light in January, and the radiance of the day’ Matisse, 1952.
Matisse discovered Nice in 1917 and lived there until his death in 1954. His studio was located in the former Regina Hotel. The hotel was built as a holiday spot for Queen Victoria who once occupied the whole west wing. Since the 1930s it has been private flats. The Matisse Museum, housed in a former 17th century Genoese residence, Villa des Arènes, is situated just around the corner from the Regina. It is also next door to the archaeological museum and park. We visited both, as a museum ticket gives access to all the museums in Nice for 24 hours.
Matisse’s studio played a key role in his creative process. He would use the large walls, in his Regina apartment, to display his paper cut outs and large commissions. There are several interesting photos in the museum that show him at work in his studio with his works surrounding him. This really brought his work to life and made me think about Matisse in a different light. I often find that the more I know about an artist, as a person and the ups and downs of their lives, the more I understand and connect with their work. Put simply, people relate to people.
The museum holds one of the world’s most extensive collections of Matisse artworks. One of the highlights, for me, was seeing sketches and stained glass window prototypes for a chapel located in the hilltop village of Vence. A visit to the chapel itself suddenly became an item on our itinerary!
‘This work required four years of exclusive, constant effort. It is the fruit of my whole working life. In spite of all its imperfections, I consider it as my masterpiece.’ Matisse.
I love the story of how the chapel commission came about. Matisse was in his late seventies and living in his studio at the Regina. He was recovering from cancer surgery and needed constant nursing. Monique Bourgeois, aged 21, became his night nurse, they got on well and a unique friendship blossomed between them. She became one of his models and also his workshop assistant. She then leaves to become a nun (Sister Jacques-Marie) and they don’t see each other for a few years (they keep in touch by letter).
She belonged to an order of Dominican sisters and they wanted to build a new chapel. A young priest was commissioned as the architect and, thanks to Sister Jacques-Marie, Matisse for the design. He designed the space, including all the wall decorations and stained glass windows, as well as the furniture and priests’ robes.
‘I’m going to build your chapel and I’ll be responsible for the windows!’ Matisse
This is just a brief synopsis of the story and if you are interested in finding out more, I recommend reading Henri Matisse: The Vence Chapel by Sister Jacques-Marie. It gives some really lovely, personal insights into their relationship and the long, often complicated, process of the chapel’s construction.
There is a small museum attached to the chapel showing many of the preliminary sketches, from the priest’s vestments to the stations of the cross. The highlight though is the chapel itself. It is beautiful in its simplicity. The way the light comes in through the colourful stained glass windows, the cleaness of the design. Words and photographs don’t really do it justice. The best experience is to go and see it for yourself!
For more information about the Matisse Museum
For more information about the Matisse Chapel (La Chapelle du Rosaire)
