Now at the Art Institute of Chicago — Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913-1917
Mar 22nd, 2010 by andreaharris
Henri Matisse (1869 -1954) has always been intriguing to me for his genius with a wide range of artistic elements. One of the greatest artists of his time, Matisse was a master at using color, texture, pattern and line, and strategically juxtaposing objects within space.
The current exhibition, Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913-1917 opened a door to discovery far beyond my expectations.
Visitors to both the Art Institute of Chicago and The Museum of Modern Art, New York (MoMA) will have the opportunity to view 120 paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints in this must-see exhibition.
The Art Institute is hosting the show from March 20 through June 20, 2010 and MoMA will present it from July 18 through October 11, 2010.
This is the first exhibition devoted solely to this period in Matisse’s career. It thoroughly explores his early working process as well as his revolutionary experimentation. Matisse called his work from this time period “methods of modern construction.”
The period begins with Matisse’s return to Paris from Morocco in 1913 and ends with his 1917 departure to Nice. Unlike his earlier art that was characterized by rich color and an intrepid use of line, paintings created during this time are more abstracted, profoundly reworked and dominated by black and grey.
Perhaps Matisse’s works from this period were influenced by Cubism and World War I, but the current exhibition emphasizes his own artistic growth. He may have been responding to his times, but his work was revolutionary.
Within the exhibition, Matisse’s work is brilliantly segmented into specific intervals, allowing the viewer to better understand the artist’s process.
The viewer is taken on a journey that begins with “Modernism and Tradition” (1907-1908), a selection of paintings that depict examples of Matisse’s earlier methods of painting influenced by the theme of Arcadia.
Henri Matisse (French, 1869–1954). Blue Nude (Memory of Biskra), 1907. 92.1 x 140.4 cm (36 1/4 x 55 1/4 in.) The Baltimore Museum of Art, The Cone Collection, BMA 1950.228. © 2010 Succession H. Matisse / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
In contrast, Matisse’s art in the years 1913–1917 involved the complexity of re-working canvases, a return to printmaking and the creation of more than half of the sculptures he made during his entire life.
Three of his most monumental works, Bathers by a River, The Moroccans and Back I, II, III, IV involved a complex approach of scraping, incising, erasing and repainting to create his unbridled version of Modernism.
Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913-1917 transcends my impression of this modern master. Don’t miss it.
Henri Matisse (French, 1869–1954). Bathers by a River, 1909–10, 1913, 1916–17. Oil on canvas, 260 x 392 cm (102 1/2 x 154 3/16 in.) The Art Institute of Chicago, Charles H. and Mary F. S. Worcester Collection, 1953.158. © 2010 Succession H. Matisse / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Henri Matisse (French, 1869–1954). The Moroccans, 1915–16. Oil on canvas, 181.3 x 279.4 cm (71 3/8 x 110 in.) The Museum of Modern Art, New York, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel A. Marx, 1955. © 2010 Succession H. Matisse / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Alvin Langdon Coburn (British, 1882-1966). Henri Matisse working from Back (II) to Back (III), May 13, 1913. Photograph. Courtesy of George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography and Film, Rochester, 1979:3924:0009.
Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913-1917 is curated by Stephanie D’Alessandro, Gary C. and Frances Comer Curator of Modern Art at the Art Institute of Chicago, and John Elderfield, Chief Curator Emeritus of Painting and Sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
All images have been graciously provided for this article with permission of the Art Institute of Chicago.
If I make it to the show, I now feel like I’ll have a better understanding of his developing works. Thanks for you review.
Thank you for your comments, Carol. If you make it to the exhibition, I would enjoy learning about your favorite Matisse artworks.
Andrea