A visit to the Marc Chagall Museum in Nice, France

Many years ago, a good friend of mine studied in France and became a devotee of Marc Chagall. Although I remembered her high praise, I never took the time to explore his work until I came to study French in the French Riviera. The Marc Chagall Museum in Nice was the perfect introduction and now I can also call myself a devotee of his vibrant, colorful work.

Born Moishe Shagal in 1887 near Vitebsk in Russia, Marc Chagall lived and worked in Paris and in America before settling in the Cote d’Azur in 1948. He was a prolific artist known for his command of color and light, working with both paint and stained glass. Raised by Hasidic Jewish parents in a working class village, his art revolved around Jewish village life, such as fishing and playing the violin, and biblical themes.

Chagall is also known for painting the ceiling of the Paris Opera in 1963-64, a controversial choice at the time.  Many people protested that he was not “really French” and that his style was too modern to be commissioned for such an important national monument. It took him about a year to complete and paid homage to several French composers, actors and dancers. When it was unveiled to public, the bright colors lit up by a chandelier during the finale of Mozart’s “Jupiter Symphony”, it received rave reviews and was embraced as a great contribution to French culture.

Chagall died and was buried in 1985 at the age of 97, in St. Paul-de-Vence, just outside of Nice. It was lamented at the time that the last artist who truly understood light and color was lost to the world.

The Marc Chagall Museum, 4 avenue Docteur Ménard, is located an easy walk from the Gare Thiers train station in the rolling hills of Cimiez. I happily discovered that the building was air conditioned on the hot July day that I visited it, and even more so to discover that there was no admission fee.  And unlike many French museums, particularly in Paris, which can be overwhelming, this one was small and manageable.

But it was the paintings and stained glass that really capture the imagination. There are 17 larger than life paintings, appropriately giving the biblical themes biblical proportions. They are bright and colorful, and filled with a love of life and joy that can best be described by the French “joie de vivre.” You can sit on the many benches and just soak up the joy.

There is also a small auditorium that runs a short film in French, and if your French isn’t up to snuff you can still enjoy the images or admire the vibrant stained glass windows.

The museum bookstore has everything from small prints and books to beautifully crafted china with Chagall prints, also available in finer department stores such as the Galerie Lafayette. A visit to this charming museum is well worth the time, and I am sure to go back again and again.

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