For Matisse, Nice was more a state of mind than a place. At his happiest and most creative in this warm, light-filled environment, he produced there some of his most beautiful works: luminous vistas; sensuous models in bright, flower-filled interiors; open windows looking out onto dazzling blue seas. From 1917 until 1954, the influence of Nice pervades Matisse's paintings and sculptures. The colours of his radiant masterpieces are represented in the plates contained in this work, while a text explores the depth of his artistic vision and the influences of the South of France.