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Henri Matisse

  • Biography
  • Timeline
  • Selected Exhibitions
  • Works
  • Exhibitions
  • Art Fairs
  • Publications
  • Henri Matisse, L'artiste et le modèle nu, 1921 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Henri Matisse, Nu couché, 1929 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Henri Matisse, Grande masque, 1948 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Henri Matisse, La Sieste, 1938 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Henri Matisse, L'artiste et le modèle nu, 1921
  • Biography
    View works. Henri Matisse, Patitcha. Masque (1947)
    Henri Matisse, Patitcha. Masque (1947)
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    Henri Matisse, born in 1869 in Le Cateau-Cambrésis, France, was a leading figure in the development of modern art in the early 20th century. Initially studying law, Matisse first encountered painting during a period of illness in 1889, marking the beginning of his artistic career. He moved to Paris in 1891 to study at the Académie Julian and later at the École des Beaux-Arts, where he honed his craft and developed a distinctively modern approach to artistic creation. Matisse’s early works bare a deep influence of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, particularly the colour theory of Paul Gauguin and the formal innovations of Paul Cézanne that favour the psychology of his subjects over their realistic rendering.

     

    In 1905, Matisse became a central figure in the Fauvist movement, which rejected the muted tones of traditional academic painting in favour of vibrant, solid colouring. Although Fauvism as a movement was short-lived, it had a lasting impact on Matisse, who continued to explore the expressive potential of colour throughout his career.

     

    Matisse’s stylistic evolution is marked by an increasing emphasis on simplification and abstraction. In the 1910s, he began to focus more on the structural aspects of form, where colour and shape are used to create dynamic compositions that evoke movement and rhythm. His work during this period sought to remove superfluous detail and aimed, through colour and form, for a purity of expression.

     

    In the 1940s, Matisse's health began to decline, but his creative output remained prolific. Forced to work from a wheelchair, Matisse developed his iconic cut-outs, where he used vibrant coloured paper to create abstract compositions of fluid forms.

     

    Matisse’s influence on the course of modern art is immeasurable. His work profoundly impacted the development of abstraction and colour theory, and his innovative approach to capture form in his artworks continues to resonate with contemporary artists. Matisse’s legacy as a master of colour and composition endures, with his work housed in major institutions worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

     
  • Timeline

    1869 Born in Le Cateau-Cambrésis, France to a wealthy family

    1989 Studies law at College de Saint Quentin in France

    1889 First encounters painting during a period of illness

    1891 Moves to Paris

    1896 Exhibits Woman Reading at Salon du Champ-de-Mars in Paris, garnering significant attention and success

    1897 Exhibits The Dinner Table at the Paris Salon, but its experimental style that fuses Impressionism with Classical artistic tradition generates outrage

    1899 Stops exhibiting work in the Paris Salon and begins focusing on art within the avant-garde artistic circles

    1904 First solo exhibition

    1905 Becomes a leading member of Fauvism

    1910s Begins to investigate the structural aspects of art to make shape, form, and linework dynamic within his compositions

    1905 Meets Picasso and they become both friends and rivals

    1941-2 Undergoes a nearly fatal surgery for duodenal cancer resulting in his often being confined to his bed

    Late 1940s Begins experimenting with paper cutouts, an artistic practice that will become the artist’s primary medium

    1947 Publishes his limited-edition art book, Jazz, which offers a collection of his thoughts about life and creative pursuits, along with his paper cut out images

    1950 Awarded first prize at the Venice Biennale

    1954 Dies of a heart attack in his apartment in Nice, France
  • Selected Exhibitions

    1905 Salon d’Automne, Paris, France

    1948 Matisse Drawings, The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL

    1955 Henri Matisse: Sculptures, Paintings, Drawings, National Gallery of Canada, Musée des beaux-arts du Canada, Ottawa, Canada

    1966 Henri Matisse: 64 Paintings, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY

    1971 Matisse as a Draughtsman, The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL 

    1978 Henri Matisse: Paper Cut-Outs, Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis, MI

    1988 Henri Matisse. Pintures i dibuixos dels Museus Puixkin de Moscou i l’Ermitage de Leningrad, Museo Picasso, Barcelona, Spain

    1999 Henri Matisse. Fire store samlere, Köbenhavn Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen, Denmark

    2010 Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913-1917, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY

    2012 Matisse: Pairs and Sets, Centre Pompidou, Musée National d’Art Moderne, Paris, France

    2016 Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse, Royal Academy, London, UK

    2017 Matisse in the Studio, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA

    2017 Matisse: Painting, Sculpture, Drawing, Prints, Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London, UK

    2018 Henri Matisse: Prints, Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London, UK

    2018 Matisse et Picasso, La Comédie du Modèle, Musée Matisse, Nice, France

    2023 La Répétition, Centre Pompidou-Metz, Paris, France

    2024 8 Golden Square: Group Show, Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London, UK

    2024 Summer Show, Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London, UK

    2024 Pools on Paper, Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London, UK

    2024 Henri Matisse - Prints, Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London, UK

    2024 Braque, Matisse, Picasso: Prints, Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London, UK

    2025 Summer Show, Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London, UK

  • Works
    Open a larger version of the following image in a popup: Henri Matisse, Etudes, 1932

    Henri Matisse

    Etudes, 1932
    Etching on Chine appliqué on wove paper
    36.2 x 29.8 cms (14 1/4 x 11 3/4 ins)
    Unique
    Enquire
    %3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EHenri%20Matisse%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EEtudes%3C/span%3E%2C%20%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E1932%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3EEtching%20on%20Chine%20appliqu%C3%A9%20on%20wove%20paper%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E36.2%20x%2029.8%20cms%20%2814%201/4%20x%2011%203/4%20ins%29%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22edition_details%22%3EUnique%3C/div%3E
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  • Exhibitions

    • Henri Matisse: Goldfish Bowls and Other Prints, London Original Print Week
      Exhibitions

      Henri Matisse: Goldfish Bowls and Other Prints

      London Original Print Week 1 - 28 May 2021
    • Prints I wish I had published
      Exhibitions

      Prints I wish I had published

      11 January - 9 February 2019
      In 1969 Bernard Jacobson opened his first London gallery – a fourth-floor walk-up on Mount Street, Mayfair, dealing in prints by international stars, including Andy Warhol and Claes Oldenburg, as...
    • Some of the artists I have worked for
      Exhibitions

      Some of the artists I have worked for

      10 September - 5 October 2019
      To end the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the gallery, we are delighted to introduce a selection of works by the artists that helped shaping its success.
    • Henri Matisse: Prints
      Exhibitions

      Henri Matisse: Prints

      6 July - 15 September 2018
      Bernard Jacobson Gallery is delighted to announce a wide ranging exhibition featuring more than 60 rare and important works from the Gallery’s comprehensive collection of Henri Matisse prints, currently the...
    • Henri Matisse: Painting, Sculpture, Drawing, Prints
      Exhibitions

      Henri Matisse: Painting, Sculpture, Drawing, Prints

      2 June - 23 October 2017
      Bernard Jacobson Gallery is delighted to announce Henri Matisse: Painting, Sculpture, Drawing, Prints, an exhibition of more than a dozen of original works by one of the greatest masters of...
    • Bonheur de Vivre
      Exhibitions

      Bonheur de Vivre

      18 March - 27 May 2016
      Bonheur de Vivre is the result of long-held desire by Bernard Jacobson to present work by some of the great artists who have particularly inspired and sustained his own love...
    • Mixed Show
      Exhibitions

      Mixed Show

      10 - 30 November 2022
      Bernard Jacobson Gallery presents a mixed show of gallery artists. Artists include Ivor Abrahams, Georges Braque, Paul Cézanne, Robyn Denny, Sam Francis, John Hoyland, Henri Matisse, Bruce McLean, Henry Moore,...
  • Art Fairs

    • The Armory Show
      Events

      The Armory Show

      8 - 11 March 2012
    • Art Basel | Basel
      Events

      Art Basel | Basel

      14 - 17 June 2012
    • Frieze Masters
      Events

      Frieze Masters

      17 - 20 October 2013
    • IFPDA Fine Art Print Fair
      Events

      IFPDA Fine Art Print Fair

      4 - 8 November 2015
    • EXPO CHICAGO
      Events

      EXPO CHICAGO

      20 - 23 September 2012
    • Frieze New York
      Events

      Frieze New York

      5 - 7 May 2017
    • London Original Print Fair
      Events

      London Original Print Fair

      3 - 6 May 2018
      View Artsy Fair Booth
    • Draw Art Fair London
      Events

      Draw Art Fair London

      17 - 19 May 2019
      View Artsy Fair Booth
  • Publications

    • Henri Matisse: Life and Joy
      Publications

      Henri Matisse: Life and Joy

      Exhibition catalogue of the exhibition Henri Matisse: Life and Joy, held at the Hangaram Museum, Seoul, South Korea, December 2021 - April 2022. Introduction by Benjamin Genocchio. ISBN: 979-11-976801-0-6
    • Some of the artists I have worked for
      Publications

      Some of the artists I have worked for

      Published on occasion of the homonymous exhibition held at Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London, 10 September - 5 October 2019
    • Henri Matisse: Prints
      Publications

      Henri Matisse: Prints

    • Bonheur de Vivre
      Publications

      Bonheur de Vivre

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