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Matisse, 1941-1954 review
Grand Palais, ParisAn epic collection of the artist’s final 13 years of work explodes with the stunning colours and spiky cutouts that redefined art
TL;DR
- Matisse reinvented himself and modern art in his early 70s after surviving surgery.
- The exhibition covers his last 13 years (1941-1954) and is a celebration of color, form, and line.
- Early works show Matisse painting still lifes in his Nice studio amidst the looming war and his family's arrest.
- His "Themes and Variations" series involved repetitive drawing to refine images down to their essential components.
- Matisse moved to using scissors for radical compositions with jagged shapes and bold colors, starting with maquettes for the book "Jazz".
- He later covered his Vence bedroom walls with cutouts and created lighter, simpler paintings.
- The Vence Chapel designs, including vestments and stained glass, are presented as spiritual but focused on art.
- Later works include the "blue nudes" and a final self-portrait, alongside a painting with seven lines conveying a face.