Museum of Naive Art

The Château Sainte Hélène was once the home of the perfumer François Coty. Today, it houses works of art from the 18th to the 21st century, especially those of naive art.The exhibition presents an internationally unique panaroma of naive art and its history. Around 20,000 visitors a year marvel at the 600 works by artists from 27 countries.

History of the museum

Anno 1930 Yvonne Coty, ex-wife of the French perfumer, decided to remodel the building and entrusted the architect H. Malgaud with the work. On April 6, 1973, their daughter Christiane Coty sold the Château to the city of Nice, which was responsible for its transformation into a museum. The museum was opened on March 5, 1983.
The statues in the garden were created by Frédéric Lanovsky.

The Musée International d'Art Naïf Anatole Jakovsky owes its existence and name to a donation from the French art critic Anatole Jakovsky (1909-1983) and donations from the Centre Georges Pompidou. The result is a significant collection of diverse works.

Diversity of the exhibition

The Musée International gallery includes sculptures, drawings, paintings and posters by artists such as Séraphine Louis, Henri Rousseau, O'Brady, Rimbert, Vivin, Bauchant, Haddelsey, Vivancos and Ligabue - to name just a few.
Brazilian, Haitian and Croatian painters complete this exposition along with the works of outsider art (Art Singulier and Art Brut). These include the works of Auguste Forestier, Gaston Chaissac or Danielle Jacpui.

Without a doubt, the Musée International d'Art Naif Anatole Jakovsky is one of the museums on the Côte d'Azur that is well worth a visit. The garden alone around the museum building, is an artistic, idyllic setting.