Chagall in Vence: A Symphony of Light and Colour

The exhibition invites you to discover the pivotal years as Marc Chagall embraced the light of the French Riviera, experimenting with new techniques and creating some of his most lyrical and enduring works.

This year, the Musée de Vence–Fondation Emile Hugues have joined forces with the Musée National Marc Chagall to celebrate the artist’s Vence years, a transformative period from 1949 to 1966 when Chagall lived and worked in the town. This collaboration revives a long-standing partnership between the two institutions, which previously co-organised landmark exhibitions such as Les Années méditerranéennes (1994)—divided between secular works in Vence and religious works in Nice—and Du verbe à l’image in 2013.

Chagall’s relocation to the South of France profoundly reshaped his art. The region’s luminous light, lush vegetation, and unhurried pace of life infused his work with a freer, more sensual style, where the radiance of colour became ever more central. During this period, Chagall explored new techniques—ceramics, sculpture, stained glass, mosaics, and tapestry—while his exhibitions and commissions multiplied.

Two key strands emerged in his work. On one side, major public projects drew upon themes of the circus, music, and dance, while on the other, Chagall deepened his engagement with biblical subjects—a focus that had begun in 1930 with Ambroise Vollard’s commission for an illustrated Bible. He later completed this work through a celebrated series of lithographs published in Verve.

In the early 1950s, Chagall developed plans for monumental works for la chapelle du Calvaire in Vence. Although the project was ultimately abandoned, it paved the way for the creation of the Message Biblique cycle (1956–1966), which became the cornerstone of the Musée National Marc Chagall in Nice, inaugurated in 1973 as the first national museum dedicated to a living artist. His biblical explorations continued in later years, with commissions for stained glass and mosaics, including the windows in Vence Cathedral unveiled in 1979.

The exhibition « Chagall. Les années vençoises. Une renaissance méditerranéenne » presents an exceptional collection of original paintings, drawings, lithographs, sculptures, and ceramics, on loan from the Musée National Marc Chagall in Nice, complemented by works from the Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris and private collections. Together, they offer an unprecedented insight into the artistic flourishing of Chagall’s Vence years—a period defined by light, experimentation, and enduring creative brilliance.

The exhibition is organised in partnership with the musées nationaux du XX^e siècle des Alpes-Maritimes and is curated by Anne Dopffer, General Curator of Heritage, Director of the musées nationaux du XX^e siècle des Alpes-Maritimes and Grégory Couderc, Scientific Director, musée national Marc Chagall,, Nice.

The exhibition « Chagall. Les années vençoises. Une renaissance méditerranéenne » runs until 2nd November, 2025. Admission is €6 and reduced rates are also available.

CONTACT DETAILS

Musée de Vence – Fondation Emile Hugues
2, place du Frêne
06140 Vence

Tel: 04 93 58 15 78

All images courtesy Musée de Vence; lead image Marc Chagall (1887-1985), peintre français d’origine russe. Cannes (Alpes-Maritimes), avril 1951; all other images as credited

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