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Returning from the Cimiez hill after the musee Matisse there is another MUST museum we have to visit: “MUSEE NATIONAL MESSAGE BIBLIQUE MARC CHAGALL. This museum, dating from 1973 is harmoniously located between palm trees and lavender fields. All experts are unanimous (a rarity!!) that the interior harmonizes strikingly with the works Chagall left inside. Large bay windows light the paintings and enhance them admirably. 17 monumental paintings of which 12 forming the "Message Biblique” represent the history of Noah, Abraham, Jacob and Moses, the Creation of man and Paradise on earth, the remaining 5 illustrate the Song of Songs. Besides, there are several sculptures, stained glass windows, mosaics, tapestries, etchings and gouaches on display.

Musee Chagall

But let me express my personal opinion, which might displease a lot of you. But that’s the way I am, sometimes different in opinion as most of the so-called experts. This kind of one man show museums like the Chagall one here, appear to me more as one man monuments and make me uneasy, I would say they are pretentious. The same for the musee Matisse, the musee Picasso in Antibes and the musee Leger in Biot.

Marc Chagall painting

Descending the Cimiez-and Carbacel boulevards we return to the avenue Saint-Jean Baptiste (the Paillon used to run here), take the promenade des Arts and there is the MUSEUM OF MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART, next to the Acropolis, both the most typical examples of what Jacques Medecin wanted as personal self-glorification in Nice. Nevertheless, it is a masterpiece of municipal planning,   an impressive complex with terraces, sculpture groups and even car parks hidden behind flower and plant beds. In front of the south façade of the “Acropolis” there is an elegant “Nikaia” by Volti (1985) and in front of the main entrance an accumulation of Arman’s double basses.
The architects Bayard and Vidal designed the Musee d’art Moderne et Contemporain as a circle with 4 pavilions in Carrara marble connected on three levels by transparent footbridges giving access the the permanent and temporary exhibitions on a 4.000 sq.m. surface. First  floor is reserved to temporary exhibitions, second and their to the permanent ones. It’s beautiful but the disadvantage is that a lot of precious exhibition space is wasted. An example: if we sit down on a chair disposed on the numerous connecting corridors, clearly put there only for decorative reasons, we just look upon lowered blinds. And in contemporary art museums today we never know if the fire extinguisher or the air conditioner is not a part of the collection ;-)! In one of the rooms the centre is occupied by a pile of cokes (1963), lent to the museum by a wealthy couple –it must have been a relief for them;-)--. Contemporary artists like Cesar, Yves Klein, Arman, Raysse, Malaval and Ben (Vautier) are, if not born, authentic Nicois. That is the reason why their work is so extensively represented in the museum. The interior courtyard formed by the pavilions is named after Yves Klein and on the roof terrace his “Mur du Feu” is located in an excellent spot. Besides this roof gives us spectacular views in the city.
But get inside and loiter around. Even if you’re a skeptical contemporary art lover the contents will please you by their variety. Discover important works of Jean Tinguely (Relief bleu) or the delicate assemblage of Daniel Spoerri. And who doesn’t know the accumulation of Arman and Cesar! Yves Klein is also present with his “monochrome bleus”, but MOST IMPORTANT, don't miss the fabulous hall "Yves Klein" and his famous "monochromes bleus" (and also yellow and gold! 

Roy Liechtenstein © Copyright 1986-Republished by permission.

While Pop-Art is represented  by Andy Warhol, Liechtenstein, James Rosenquist, Tom Wesselman, Roy Liechtenstein, Claes Oldenburg and also Keith Haring and Gilbert and George. Frank Stella, Richard Serra, Sol Lewitt, Dan Flavin and his neons represent Minimal art. But the museum didn’t forget to show us some more classic painters like Karel Appel, Cees Van Dongen, Raoul Dufy and Pierre Bonnard. (quote) "And, more playful, don't miss in any case the " Boutique de Ben", a feast of humour, a unique vision of today's art. I quote “ Ben, his real name Benjamin Vautier, accumulated here his citations, completely delirious objects most of the time turned away from their original purpose.” (unquote).
There are a lot bigger and smaller interesting museums to see in Nice.  Describing them all would be quite fastidious and will finish by be boring. And you all know that's not at all my style !! So I just give a list of eventually visitable museums : musee des Beaux-Arts Cheret,  musee d'Art naif Anatole Jakovsky, musee Terra Amata (anthropology), musee Dufy, Villa Arson (splendid patrician house of the 17th century) for contemporary art. And now, back to the place Garibaldi, still the road to Torino and we are on our way to the Italian border. First stop: Villefranche-sur-mer

Bibliography: 

 David Nathanson, "Chagall, oeuvres majeures"( ed.Gallimard 1992),Mary Blume, "Cote d'Azur. Inventing the French Riviera" (Thames and Hudson, London 1982) Stephen Liegeard, "La Cote d'Azur (Ed.Serre, Nice 1988), Bernard Lebel "L'Art contemporain à la Cote d'Azur" (ed.Nice presse 1987), "Guides du Routard 1998-99)

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Musee Chagal
Museum
of Contemporary Art