Musée Marc Chagall (Marc Chagall Museum), Nice (must see)

Marc Chagall Museum (Musée Marc Chagall ) is a French national museum located in the city of Nice. The museum is entirely dedicated to the works of the famous painter Marc Chagall, particularly his works inspired by religion and spirituality.

The museum was created during Chagall's lifetime with the help of the Minister of Culture André Malraux and was inaugurated in 1973. It is most famous for housing the series of seventeen paintings illustrating the biblical message, painted by Chagall and donated to the French state in 1966. This series depicts scenes from the books of Genesis, Exodus, and the Song of Songs.

Chagall was involved in the museum's foundation, providing detailed instructions about the creation of the garden by Henri Fish and deciding the placement of each of his works in the museum. Although the chronological order of the works was not followed, Chagall's mosaic overlooking the pond and the blue stained glass decorations in the concert hall are of particular note. The artist also wanted an annual exhibition to be held on a topic related to the spiritual and religious history of the world.

Over time, the museum's collection expanded, and what was once a museum dedicated solely to the theme of the biblical message became a monographic museum dedicated to Chagall's works of religious and spiritual inspiration. In 1972, Chagall donated all the preparatory sketches of the Message Biblique, as well as stained glass and sculptures, to the museum.

In 1986, the museum acquired, instead of inheritance taxes, the complete drawings and gouaches painted to depict the Exodus and ten other paintings, including the triptych named Résistance, Résurrection, Libération. Other acquisitions complemented the museum's collections, which now has one of the largest collections of works by Marc Chagall.

Tip:
Take advantage of the self-guided audio tour available at the entrance. You swap your ID for a unit and plug in the number of the painting you're observing to learn its story. Very worthwhile, particularly for the neophyte!