For the first time in France since the 1970s, the Matisse Museum in the City of Nice is dedicating an exhibition to Henri Matisse’s sculpture, an important aspect of his work that remains too little known.
The Matisse Metamorphoses project, initiated by the Kunsthaus Zurich, naturally found a favorable reception at the Matisse Museum, whose collections historically consist of a rich array of sculptures from the Jean Matisse collection.
Despite some commendable exhibitions organized in the decades following his death, focusing on the French master’s sculpted work, his sculptures have not captured the public’s attention as strongly as his paintings and cut-outs. They have long remained overshadowed by his painted work.
Today, there is no doubt that working with clay and plaster holds an important place alongside his work as a painter, draftsman, engraver, and book illustrator.
Besides Matisse’s artistic method, the exhibition will highlight other significant elements that characterize the artist’s sculptures.
