Self-guided Tour of Six Marc Chagall Mosaics on the Côte d'Azur
As part of the exhibition Glass and stone. Chagall in mosaic from May 24 to September 22, 2025.
The south of France is home to six monumental mosaics by Marc Chagall, created between 1964 and 1986. These works, located in Nice, Vence, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, and Les Arcs-sur-Argens, showcase Chagall's exploration of the mosaic technique, which he reimagined after World War II. These iconic creations represent a significant milestone in his artistic journey, where light and color blend seamlessly to harmonize with the surrounding architecture.
A self-guided tour is available to explore these six monumental creations at your own pace.
Check out the Google Maps map to explore Marc Chagall's mosaics on the French Riviera:
1. Le Prophète Elie, 1972, 715 x 570 cm, Marc Chagall National Museum, Nice
The mosaic Le Prophète Élie, created in 1972 by Lino Melano with the help of Michel Tharin for the future Marc Chagall National Museum of Biblical Message, dedicated to the artist, depicts the ascension of the prophet Elijah surrounded by the twelve zodiac signs, set against a Mediterranean landscape bursting with color. Chagall establishes a poetic dialogue between the earthly realm, symbolized by the Provençal vegetation, and the cosmos, embodied by the zodiac, illustrating the circular and cyclical concept of time.
The mosaic Le Prophète Élie, Marc Chagall National Museum © Succession Marc Chagall for the artworks, Marc Chagall National Museum, photo © François Fernandez, © Marc Chagall / ADAGP, Paris, 2025
View of the basin of the mosaic Le Prophète Élie, Marc Chagall National Museum © Succession Marc Chagall for the artworks, Marc Chagall National Museum, photo © François Fernandez, © Marc Chagall / ADAGP, Paris, 2025
Practical Information:
Open daily, except on Tuesdays, January 1st, May 1st, and December 25th.
From May 2nd to October 31st: 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM and 2:30 PM to 6:00 PM
From November 1st to April 30th: 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM and 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM
Address: Musée national Marc Chagall, Avenue du Docteur Ménard, 06000 Nice
Contact: By phone: +33 (0)4 93 53 87 20
2. Le Message d'Ulysse, 1968, 300 x 1100 cm, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Nice
In 1967, as part of the 1% artistic initiative, Marc Chagall was approached by Louis Trotabas, the dean of the Faculty of Law in Nice, to create a work to adorn the hall of the institution's new building, dedicated to the students. Inspired by the book Ulysse ou l'intelligence by Gabriel Audisio (1945), the chosen theme embodies the Mediterranean genius and the universal man. Created by Lino and Heidi Melano in 1968, the monumental 3 x 11-meter mosaic, rich in color and tesserae of gold and silver, depicts Ulysses at the center of nine episodes from his epic journey home from Troy to Ithaca.
The mosaic Le Message d’Ulysse, 300 x 1100 cm, © Succession Marc Chagall for the artworks, Faculty of Law in Nice, photo © François Fernandez, © Marc Chagall / ADAGP, Paris, 2025
View from the Salle des Pas Perdus, mosaïque Le Message d’Ulysse de Marc Chagall, Faculty of Law in Nice, © Succession Marc Chagall for the artworks, , photo © François Fernandez, © Marc Chagall / ADAGP, Paris, 2025
Practical Information:
Free and open access.
Opening hours: The campus is open year-round, Monday to Friday, from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, except for an annual closure during the summer. In 2025, the campus will be closed from the evening of July 25th to the morning of August 19th.
Address: Trotabas Campus, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Avenue Doyen Louis Trotabas, 06000 Nice
Two main entrances: South entrance: On foot, from the chemin de la montée, near the tramway and Promenade des Anglais, with directions to the mosaic at the reception. North entrance: By car, via the road.
Contact:
By phone: +33 (0)4 89 15 25 45
By email: accueil-trotabas@univ-cotedazur.fr
3. Les Amoureux, 1964, 300 x 285 cm, Fondation Maeght, Saint-Paul-de-Vence
Created in collaboration with Lino and Heidi Melano for the Fondation Maeght in 1964, the mosaic Les Amoureux adorns an exterior wall of Josep Lluís Sert's architecture and engages in a dialogue with the surrounding nature. Against a light background, a couple of lovers with fused faces is surrounded by vibrant areas of color that evoke vegetation. Geometric shapes and dynamic lines are enhanced by the interplay of texture and color.
The mosaic Les amoureux, 300 x 285 cm, Fondation Maeght, © Archives Fondation Marguerite et Aimé Maeght, photo © Olivier Amsellem, © Marc Chagall / ADAGP, Paris, 2025
View from outside the Fondation Maeght shop, mosaic Les amoureux, 300 x 285 cm, Fondation Maeght, © Archives Fondation Marguerite et Aimé Maeght, photo © Olivier Amsellem, © Marc Chagall / ADAGP, Paris, 2025
Practical Information:
Entrance fee required.
Prices: Full price: €18 ; Reduced price: €14 ; Free: children under 16, people with disabilities, and members of the Society of Friends.
Opening hours:
The Foundation is open daily from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM from September to June and from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM from July to August.
Address: Fondation Maeght, 623 Chemin des Gardettes, 06570 Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France
Contact:
By phone: +33 (0)4 93 32 81 63
By email: info@fondation-maeght.com
4. Le Fleuve vert, 1986, 250 x 500 cm, La Fontette School, Saint-Paul-de-Vence
Inaugurated in 1986, the mosaic, created posthumously on the pediment of the La Fontette nursery school, reproduces a lithograph by Chagall from 1974. Gifted by Vava Chagall, the artist's wife, and created by Heidi Melano, it depicts a colorful river, symbolizing the passage of time, on which recurring motifs from the artist’s work—such as a bird, a horse, a head detached from its body, and houses from Vitebsk—are carried away by the current like musical notes.
The mosaic Le Fleuve vert, 250 x 500 cm, La Fontette School, photo © François Fernandez, © Marc Chagall / ADAGP, Paris, 2025
View of the mosaic Le Fleuve vert from the terrace in front of the La Fontette School, photo © François Fernandez, © Marc Chagall / ADAGP, Paris, 2025
Practical Information:
The mosaic is visible from the terrace or the road to La Colle (the Fondation Maeght bus stop) in front of the La Fontette school.
It is not possible to visit the school.
Address: 315 rte Serres, 06570 Saint-Paul-de-Vence
5. Moïse sauvé des eaux, 1979, 170 x 235 cm, Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativité Cathedral, Vence
In 1979, at the age of 92, Chagall created his final mosaic for the Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativité Cathedral in Vence, a symbol of his attachment to the city where he had lived. It depicts Moses being saved from the waters of the Nile by Pharaoh’s daughter, a theme he had explored in 1931 for his Bible illustrations. The scene, created by Michel Tharin, stands out for its luminous color palette and a background of light marble tesserae. Chagall interprets this episode as a prophecy of Christian baptism.
The mosaic Moïse sauvé des eaux, 170 x 235 cm, © Succession Marc Chagall for the artworks, Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativité de Vence Cathedral, photo © François Fernandez, © Marc Chagall / ADAGP, Paris, 2025
View of the mosaic Moïse sauvé des eaux, © Succession Marc Chagall for the artworks, Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativité de Vence Cathedral, photo © François Fernandez, © Marc Chagall / ADAGP, Paris, 2025
Practical Information:
The cathedral is open for free access without reservation.
Opening hours:
The mosaic is visible from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM every day except Saturday mornings and Monday, Thursday, and Saturday afternoons.
Address: Notre-Dame de la Nativité Cathedral, Place Clémenceau, 06140 Vence
Contact: By phone: +33 (0)4 93 58 42
6. Le Repas des anges, 1975, 648 x 570 cm, Sainte Roseline Chapel, Les Arcs-sur-Argens
The mosaic Le Repas des Anges, created in 1975 by Michel Tharin, completes the decoration commissioned in 1968 by Marguerite Maeght from the artists of her gallery for the restoration of the Sainte-Roseline Chapel in Les Arcs-sur-Argens, built in the 12th century. Chagall illustrates the second miracle of Sainte Roseline: during her novitiate at the Prébayon Charterhouse in 1278-1279, while preparing the meal, she pauses to speak to God. When the sisters arrive, angels descend from the heavens and set the table with abundant food. This scene, framed by a floral curtain evoking the first miracle of the roses, creates a unique sensory experience with its vibrant colors and interplay of light.
The mosaic Le Repas des anges, 648 x 570 cm © Succession Marc Chagall for the artworks, Sainte Roseline Chapel, photo © François Fernandez, © Marc Chagall / ADAGP, Paris, 2025
View of the mosaic Le Repas des anges © Succession Marc Chagall for the artworks, Sainte Roseline Chapel, photo © François Fernandez, © Marc Chagall / ADAGP, Paris, 2025
Practical Information:
The Sainte Roseline Chapel is open for free access without reservation.
Opening hours: From February to May and from October to mid-December: Open Tuesday to Sunday, from 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM. From June to September: Open Tuesday to Sunday, from 2:30 PM to 6:00 PM.
Address: Chapelle Sainte Roseline, Route de Sainte Roseline, 83460 Les Arcs
Contact: By phone: +33 (0)4 94 47 42 71
The exhibition Glass and Stone. Chagall in Mosaic, presented from May 24 to September 22, 2025, at the Marc Chagall National Museum, highlights the artist's work through his fourteen mosaics created between 1958 and 1986. Offering a unique insight into his creative process, the exhibition invites the public to delve into Chagall's explorations of light, material, and color, while celebrating artistic innovation and the cultural heritage of mosaic through an immersive scenography and interactive displays.
Marc Chagall, Le Coq bleu (detail), 1958-1959, mosaic. Private collection © Archives Marc et Ida Chagall, Paris © ADAGP, Paris, 2025.
Marc Chagall, Le Message d'Ulysse, 1968 (detail, mosaic, 3 x 11 m). Nice, Faculté de Droit et Science politique © Photo: François Fernandez / musées nationaux du XXe siècle des Alpes-Maritimes © ADAGP, Paris, 2025.
Affiche : Marc Chagall, Le Prophète Élie, mosaïque (detail), 1971-1972, Photo: © Société A2+topographie © Adagp, Paris, 2025.
À découvrir
Mosaic demonstrations
Chagall. The Vence years. A Mediterranean renaissance
Dispositivo Esplicativo per il Soffitto dell'Opera di Parigi
Il tributo di Chagall alla musica e a Parigi
