In collaboration with the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York and the SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen (Danish National Gallery), Fondation Louis Vuitton is currently hosting the exhibition Matisse, L'atelier rouge. This exhibition delves into the artistic journey of Henri Matisse (1869-1954), from the inception of his studio to the evolution of his works, and is on display from May 4 to September 9, 2024.
Matisse, L'atelier rouge is dedicated to exploring the origins and history of this 1911 masterpiece, a seminal work in MoMA's collection since its acquisition in 1949. In it, Matisse depicts his studio in Issy-les-Moulineaux, adorned with paintings and objects. For the first time since leaving the artist's studio, these pivotal works are reunited at the Fondation Louis Vuitton. The exhibition engages visitors with a range of materials including architectural plans of the studio, early design and delivery correspondence, and a photograph of Matisse with his dog on the steps of his studio, looking directly into the camera lens.
L'atelier rouge was last displayed in Paris approximately thirty years ago. Now, it returns to Fondation Louis Vuitton, close to its original site of creation. The painting reveals a corner of Matisse's studio at Issy-les-Moulineaux, featuring eleven artworks created over the preceding thirteen years. Painted in 1911, this canvas signifies a pivotal moment in Matisse’s career. A meticulous examination of his technique uncovers layers of blue and emerald green beneath the dominant red, illustrating how the artist overpainted the canvas in red a month or more after initially using other colors. Matisse himself had once stated, "A single tone is merely a color; two tones, that is harmony, that is life." The Venetian red chosen by Matisse is consistent, vibrant and vivid. Added to this pigment are the traces of a brush he employed, with persistence, during a late stage of the painting’s execution. This revelation proved astonishing.
The painting showcases the complexity of Matisse's art, his bold use of color, his simplification of forms, and his innovative spirit that broke with traditional norms and aimed for the essential in a quest for simplicity and balance. Visiting Matisse, L'atelier rouge at Fondation Louis Vuitton offers an opportunity to trace the history of this work, while savoring Matisse's colors in light of the evolution of modern painting. Four decades after its debut at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1949, this painting is finally acknowledged as a major work in the history of modern art.
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