The South of France is a jewel box, and holds many treasures to explore and discover. Fondation Maeght museum of modern art is a hidden gem…one of the many treasures in the south of France we’ll be exploring in the next few posts. 
Set in the gorgeous wooded hills of the French Riviera, the museum lies 20 km west of Nice, and just 500 meters beyond the lovely village of St. Paul de Vence.
The museum was founded in 1964 by Aime and Marguerite Maeght “to present to the public modern and contemporary art in all its forms” and includes over 500 paintings, sculptures and works by 20th century masters such as Chagall, Miro, Caulder, Leger, Giacometti, and many more. 
I’ll admit, it’s taken me a while to come to appreciate modern art, as I’ve always been a fan of the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists. But this museum changed me, and helped expand my tastes. The vivid colors and thought-provoking works are beautiful…sometimes whimsical, sometimes desolate….even if I don’t always understand what the artist is trying to say to me. 
The building was designed by Catalan architect Luis Sert and incorporates important art works into the building and gardens….”the Giacometti courtyard, the Miró labyrinth filled with sculptures and ceramics, mural mosaics by Chagall and Tal-Coat, a pool and stained glass window by Braque, a Bury fountain.” The sculpture gardens alone are worth the trip.
Getting there:
Check the museum’s website for arrivals by bus, car and train. The museum is open every day July 1-Sept. 30 from 10:00 am – 7:00 pm, and October 1-June 30 from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm. Admission is currently 11 Euros, and children under 10 are free. Téléphone: +33 (0)4 93 32 81 63. Opening hours and prices are current at time of posting, but are of course, subject to change.
From Fondation Maeght website
Allow a minimum of 2 hours for your visit. Combine your trip to Fondation Maeght with a tour of the charming perched village of St. Paul de Vence and you will have a wonderful day trip from Nice, Cannes or Antibes.
Very nice. I’ll have to put it on the list for visits. Thanks for a great insider tip. Cynthia
Thanks, Cynthia! It’s a lovely place to visit, and be sure to wander thru St. Paul de Vence too. It’s not terribly far from you….would make a nice weekend getaway!
Does anyone know about a museum or exhibition about the Egyptian painter Edward Rizkalla (sp?)? He used to paint in the south of France very year and I heard he had a permanent exhibition. But I can’t find any references to it.
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St. Paul de Vence is one of our family’s favorite destinations in this area, we all love it! It’s so convenient to the Nice airport as well. The mix of art, open air theater in the summer, the beautifully preserved village, and the surrounding countryside is wonderful. We’ve yet to visit this museum – I’m looking forward to returning very soon to check it out. Kids are great interpreters of modern art…
Congrats! Very cute combination of text and pictures. Make me wish to see the museum soon.
i guess i should look for blogs more often, the information you gave me here just “fixed me up” with everything i was looking for. THANK YOU!
very useful indeed. appriciate.
i rarely reply in blogs, but there is a few that i follow a lot.
thank you for your postings, love them. קידום אתרים
Thank you so much for the kind words! I appreciate you taking the time to let me know you like my work!! That motivates me to keep going. Thank you again, and I hope you get a chance to visit someday. Blessings to you.
Mary Ann
My daughter, Jennifer and I went there a couple of years ago and were so thrilled to be in such a fantastic environment. I am currently making a scrapbook for Jen of our most amazing trip. It makes my heart sing to look back at my photos. It was really the most wonderful memorable moment in my life. I am looking up more reference on the web and came across your blog. it is just beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing. I will certainly add your input to our scrapbook. Your photos are amazing.THANK YOU!
Hi Carol, thanks so much for you kind words. The museum is lovely, and I find it’s not on the top “to do” lists of many guidebooks. The outdoor sculptures alone are worth the trip. I regret I did not have time to search out Matisse’s Chapel of the Rosarie in Vence, which is considered to be his life’s work. I’ll just have to go back again, as it is in the same area!! That’s wonderful that you got to travel with your daughter and share these lovely experiences with her. I wish I was better at documenting through scrapbooks. Congratulations, and good luck with your project!