Henri Matisse [Exhibition] The Museum of Modern Art, Nov. 13, 1951-Jan. 13, 1952 the Cleveland Museum of Art, Feb. 5-Mar. 16, 1952 the Art Institute of Chicago, Apr. 1-May 4, 1952 the San Francisco Museum of Art, May 22-July 6, 1952 Author Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.) Date 1951 Publisher [publisher not identified] Exhibition URL www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/1900 The Museum of Modern Art's exhibition history— from our founding in 1929 to the present—is available online. It includes exhibition catalogues, primary documents, installation views, and an index of participating artists. MoMA © 2017 The Museum of Modern Art THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, NEW YORK THE CLEVELAND MUSEtlM OF ART THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF ART TRUSTEES OF THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, NEW YORK JOHN HAY WHITNEY, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD; HENRY ALLEN MOE, 1ST VICE-CHAIRMAN; PHILIP L. GOODWIN, 2ND VICE-CHAIRMAN; NELSON A. ROCKEFELLER, PRESIDENT; MRS. DAVID M. LEVY, 1ST VICE- PRESIDENT; JOHN E. ABBOTT, ALFRED H. BARR, JR., MRS. ROBERT WOODS BLISS, WILLIAM A. M. BURDEN, STEPHEN C. CLARK, RENE D'HARNONCOURT, MRS. EDSEL B. FORD, A. CONGER GOODYEAR, MRS. SIMON GUGGENHEIM, WALLACE K. HARRISON, JAMES W. HUSTED, MRS. ALBERT D. LASKER, MRS. HENRY R. LUCE, RANALD H. MACDONALD, MRS. G. MACCULLOCH MILLER, WILLIAM S. PALEY, MRS. E. B. PARKINSON, MRS. CHARLES S. PAYSON, ANDREW CARNDUFF RITCHIE, DAVID ROCKEFELLER, BEARDSLEY RUML, JOHN L. SENIOR, JR., JAMES THRALL SOBY, EDWARD M. M. WARBURG, MONROE WHEELER. HONORARY TRUSTEES FREDERIC CLAY BARTLETT, MRS. W. MURRAY CRANE, DUNCAN PHILLIPS, PAUL J. SACHS, MRS. JOHN S. SHEPPARD. TRUSTEES OF THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART HAROLD T. CLARK, PRESIDENT; LEONARD C. HANNA, JR., VICE-PRESIDENT; EDWARD B. GREENE, VICE- PRESIDENT; LEWIS B. WILLIAMS, VICE-PRESIDENT; RALPH M. COE, MRS. ALBERT S. INGALLS, SEVERANCE A. MILLIKIN, LAURENCE H. NORTON, MRS. R. HENRY NORWEB, G. GARRETSON WADE. TRUSTEES OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO CHAUNCEY MCCORMICK, PRESIDENT; PERCY B. ECKHART, VICE-PRESIDENT; RUSSELL TYSON, VICE- PRESIDENT; WALTER S. BREWSTER, VICE-PRESIDENT; ALFRED E. HAMILL, VICE-PRESIDENT; LESTER ARMOUR, WILLIAM MCCORMICK BLAIR, LEIGH B. BLOCK, AVERY BRUNDAGE, CHESTER DALE, MAX EPSTEIN, MARSHALL FIELD, JR., EVERETT D. GRAFF, FRANK B. FIUBACHEK, HOMER J. LIVINGSTON, SAMUEL A. MARX, EDWARD B. SMITH, HAROLD H. SWIFT, MERLE J. TREES, ARTHUR M. WOOD. HONORARY TRUSTEES ROBERT ALLERTON, FREDERIC CLAY BARTLETT, THOMAS E. DONNELLEY, CHARLES H. WORCESTER. TRUSTEES OF THE SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF ART W. W. CROCKER, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD; BRAYTON WILBUR, PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD; GARDNER DAILEY, SECRETARY; ARTHUR BROWN, JR., E. MORRIS COX, GEORGE T. CAMERON, MRS. PAUL ELIEL, FORREST ENGELHART, HECTOR ESCABOSA, MORTIMER FLEISHH ACKER, ROBERT C. HARRIS, E. E. HILLS, CHARLES KENDRICK, WALTER S. MARTIN, ROBERT WATT MILLER, JOHN FRANCIS NEYLAN, CHARLES PAGE, MRS. HENRY POTTER RUSSELL, LEON RUSSELL, ALBERT E. SCHLESINGER, L. I. SCOTT, ROBERT GORDON SPROUL, J. D. ZELLERBACH. PLEASERETURN TO OFFICEOF MONROE WHEELER fayI / tirkue&kfi// HENRI MATISSE THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART NOVEMBER 13, 1951-JANUARY 13, 1952 THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART FEBRUARY 5 - MARCH 16, 1952 THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO APRIL 1 - MAY 4, 1952 THE SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF ART MAY 22-JULY 6, 1952 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS On behalf of the Trustees of The Museum of Mod to Mr. Jean-Pierre Brasseur, Miss Lydia De- ern Art, New York, The Cleveland Museum of Art, lectorskaya, Dr. Alfred M. Frankfurter, Mr. Fiske The Art Institute of Chicago, and the San Fran Kimball, Mr. Pierre Matisse, Mr. Henri Marceau, cisco Museum of Art, we wish to convey our deepest Mr. William H. Milliken, Dr. Grace L. McCann gratitude Morley, Mr. Daniel Catton Rich, Mr. Siegfried Rosengart, Mr. George Stout, Miss Margit Varga to Mr. Henri Matisse, for his painstaking coop and Mr. Willis F. Woods, for special assistance and eration and most generous loan of works belonging counsel; to him, and for designing the cover of this catalog; and to Mr. Alfred H. Barr, Jr. and Miss Mar to the French Government for its liberal sup garet Miller for their predominant roles in selecting port and to His Excellency Henri Bonnet, French and assembling the exhibition. Ambassador to the United States, and Messrs. Louis Joxe, Georges Salles, Philippe Erlanger, ANDREW CARNDUFF RITCHIE Jean Cassou and Rene de Messieres, for their kind Director, Department of Painting and collaboration; Sculpture, The Museum of Modern Art to the European and American private collectors MONROE WHEELER and museums, herein listed, who have graciously Director, Departments of Exhibitions and lent the works which comprise the exhibition; Publications, The Museum of Modern Art LENDERS TO THE EXHIBITION Mr. and Mrs. Lee Ault; Dr. and Mrs. Harry Bakwin; The Baltimore Museum of Art; Museum of Fine Mr. and Mrs. LeRay W. Berdeau; Mr. and Mrs. Arts, Boston; Albright Art Gallery, Buffalo; The William A. M. Burden; Mrs. Gilbert W. Chapman; Art Institute of Chicago; The Cleveland Museum Mr. Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. Ralph of Art; The Detroit Institute of Arts; The Metro F. Colin; Mr. Alfred Cowles; Major General A. politan Museum of Art, New York; Musee National Conger Goodyear; Baroness Gourgaud; Mr. and d'Art Moderne, Paris; Philadelphia Museum of Art; Mrs. Walter A. Haas; Mr. and Mrs. Ira Haupt; Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, Mr. and Mrs. Albert D. Lasker; Miss Loula D. Providence; San Francisco Museum of Art; Na Lasker; Mr. and Mrs. William L. McKim; Mr. and tional Museum, Stockholm; The Phillips Collec Mrs. Samuel A. Marx; Mrs. Alexina Matisse; Mr. tion, Washington, D. G.; Norton Gallery and Henri Matisse; Mr. John S. Newberry, Jr.; Mr. and School of Art, West Palm Beach. Mrs. Walter Pach; Mr. and Mrs. William S. Paley; Mr. Henry Pearlman; Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pulit Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York; Earl Stendahl zer, Jr.; Mrs. Bernard J. Reis; Mr. and Mrs. Gallery, Hollywood; Curt Valentin Gallery, New Edward G. Robinson; Mr. Hans Seligman-Schiirch; York. Mr. and Mrs. Edward M. M. Warburg; Mr. and Mrs. John Hay Whitney. Copyright 1951, The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Printed by the Plantin Press, New York INTRODUCTION France has given Matisse to the world or, it might been seen in this country. Matisse's vast graphic almost be said, the world has taken Matisse from oeuvre is represented by two constellations of draw France. During the most challenging and contro ings, one group shown and bought in New York versial period of his career his most faithful patrons over forty years ago, the other, five studies of the and ardent followers were Germans, Russians, same subject done in 1919. A half dozen handsome Scandinavians and, first of all, Americans. Without lithographs of the 1920s and three sumptuous those redoubtable San Franciscan-Parisians, the four illustrated books represent his graphic art of recent Steins —Sarah, Leo, Gertrude, Michael — Matisse's decades. His brilliant cut-and-pasted papers are recognition abroad as a great painter would proba shown in a frieze composed in 1950. bly have been deferred as long as it was in France. Of the Dominican chapel at Vence dedicated Their enthusiasm spread in waves over Europe and only a few months ago, Matisse has written: "For to America through Edward Steichen who organ me this chapel represents the result of an entire ized the three exhibitions which Alfred Stieglitz lifetime of work and the flowering of an enormous courageously put on in New York between 1908 effort, sincere and difficult." To see the chapel one and 1912. Today, forty years later, no less than must go to Vence but here, in the exhibition, are the twenty-six public museums throughout the United bronze crucifix and full-scale designs for the win States own paintings by Matisse. dows, for the great butterfly-like chasubles, the carved door of the confessional, and studies for the The present exhibition is not so large as the recent mural compositions in black line on white tile. comprehensive Matisse retrospectives held in Phila delphia, Lucerne and Tokyo. It is designed first of Matisse will be eighty-two on the last day of 195 1. all to present a highly selective review of Matisse's He has been cooperative in assembling this exhibi painting by means of some seventy-five of his most tion but, to tell the truth, he is not interested in important or characteristic works ranging from "retrospectives." His mind is full of plans for the 1890 to his recent magnificent still lifes. future —more paintings, more stained glass, more Interspersed among the paintings are concentrated sculpture. Some of it is already under way. This groups of other works, many of which are compara exhibition is merely a report of progress, of mag tively unfamiliar to the American public. The nificent achievement not yet completed. sculpture, for instance, includes two extraordinary series of variations on a theme — three great reliefs ALFRED H. BARR, JR. of a woman's back and five bronze heads of a girl — Director of the Museum Collections, of which only the preliminary versions have ever The Museum of Modern Art 3 CHRONOLOGY This chronology is based on Alfred H. Barr, Jr.'s Impressionism; year in the South: 1896-1898 comprehensive Matisse: His Art and His Public. Summer 1896, in Brittany with the painter Emile Wery from whom he gains some knowledge of Numbers following tides of Matisse's works refer to impressionist technique; paints the Breton Serving items in the exhibition list of this catalog, page 9. Girl, no. 2. Youth in Picardy: 1869-1886 Spring 1897, completes first major composition the Dinner Table, no. 3, which arouses academic Henri Emile Benoit Matisse, son of a successful disfavor when shown at the Salon de la Natio grain merchant, born December 31, 1869 at Le nale; Caillebotte Bequest of impressionist paint Cateau-Cambresis.