The Jules-Féret Museum in Nice is revisiting a century of artistic legacy with a new exhibition centered on French painter Maurice Denis. Rather than a customary retrospective, the exhibit contextualizes Denis’s work within the vibrant cultural landscape of the 1920s and his deep connection to the French Riviera. More than half of the works from the original 1925 Nice exhibition are now reunited, offering a fresh viewpoint on this pivotal moment in art history, and the museum has recently acquired a new Denis work-a view of Garoupe in Antibes-to commemorate the anniversary.
The Jules-Féret Museum is marking the 100th anniversary of an exhibition dedicated to French painter Maurice Denis (1870-1943) with a unique approach: celebrating the historical moment beyond the artist himself. The exhibit offers a fresh look at a pivotal period in art history and its connection to the French Riviera.
In 1925, the city of Nice hosted an exhibition showcasing the work of Maurice Denis, a highly popular French painter at the time.
A century later, the artist is once again being honored. More than half of the 43 works presented in the original 1925 exhibition have been reunited for the public to view. The exhibit is arranged chronologically, tracing Denis’s life and travels.
“With this exhibition, we are offering a new perspective on this artist, looking at him through the lens of the 1920s, but also through the lens of a specific region, as these are the works he created during his stays in the south of France,” explains Johanne Lindskog, director of the museum.
La Côte d’Azur sous les pinceaux de Maurice Denis : il y a un siècle et aujourd’hui
Antibes, Cagnes… La Côte d’Azur in images
Maurice Denis, known as one of the founders of the Nabi movement—which championed imagination and subjectivity in art—was also a talented draftsman, illustrator, decorator, and engraver. This exhibition, titled Maurice Denis, the 1920s. The Radiance of the South, commemorates the centennial of the exhibition dedicated to the painter held in Nice.
Familiar landscapes like the hills of Cagnes and the ramparts of Antibes are visible in the background of the exhibited works.
To mark the centennial of the Nice Salon of Fine Arts, the museum was able to acquire a new work by the artist—a view of Garoupe in Antibes—a purchase that was no accident.
Jeanne Pillon-Megale, the exhibition’s curator, explains:“It was created here in Antibes in 1922, then returned to our lands in 1925 for the Maurice Denis exhibition, and now it’s back again in 2025 to mark the centennial of that exhibition. And now, it’s going to stay with us!”
To offer a unique experience, the museum is hosting wine-tasting events alongside the exhibition, pairing flavors with Denis’s artwork. The exhibit will be on display through March 8, 2026.
Reported by Mélie Lavaud in Nice.
