Sixty-one works by Henri Matisse are entering the collections of the Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris thanks to a generous donation from Barbara Dauphin Duthuit, wife of Claude Duthuit, grandson of the famous painter.
Following the Matisse et Marguerite exhibition, the Paris museum has thus enriched its permanent collection. The donated works offer an intimate and profound look at the relationship between Matisse and his daughter Marguerite, a central figure in his private life and artistic production. From the earliest drawings made during his daughter’s childhood to the mature portraits of 1945, returning an emotional and artistic narrative that accompanies the evolution of the master’s language over the decades. Covering the entire first half of the 20th century, the works document crucial moments in Matisse’s activity and his personal experience. The years spent in Nice, fundamental to the definition of his luminous painting, emerge, as does the convalescent period in Étretat, during which artistic practice takes on new forms of concentration and introspection. The collection also testifies to the numerous posing sessions and collaborations with printmakers, offering an articulate picture of the artist’s creative processes and professional relationships.
Also found within the donation is a portrait of Claude Duthuit, Matisse’s granddaughter, which extends the narrative beyond the father-daughter relationship and introduces a broader generational dimension. This element reinforces the family and transgenerational character of the collection, placing the theme of affective and artistic continuity at the center of the narrative.
The new nucleus fits into a collection that already included some 20 works by Matisse, including the two monumental versions of The Dance (1930-1933), which have long been on permanent display in a specially dedicated room.
“This extraordinarily generous gesture testifies to Madame Duthuit’s deep commitment and her confidence in the museum, which effectively becomes Marguerite’s new home for decades and centuries to come,” commented the museum’s director, Fabrice Hergott.
Pictured: Henri Matisse, Marguerite endormie (1920; oil on canvas, 46 x 65.5 cm; Paris, Musée d’Art Moderne)
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| Donated 61 works by Matisse to the Musée d'Art Moderne in Paris. They tell the story of the bond between the artist and his daughter |
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