Spanning six decades of the artist's work, Matisse: Life & Spirit
presents an extraordinary immersion in the range and depth of the art of
Henri Matisse, one of the world's most beloved, innovative and
influential artists.
The works reach from his early adventures in colour as a Fauvist through
to the serene and distilled designs for his chapel in Vence in the south
of France. Through paintings, drawings, sculptures and a compelling
presentation of his triumphant cut-outs, it reveals how Matisse renewed
his vision time and again over his long career, seeking new ways of
celebrating the seen world and expressing the energy he felt in it.
Highlights include the especially important early work Le luxe I 1907;
the mid-career masterpiece Decorative figure on an ornamental ground
1925; and the majestic self-portrait, The sorrow of the king 1952, one
of the largest of the famous cut-outs that the artist created in his
late career.
Filled with brilliant colour, dynamic energy, visual joy and emotional
power, Matisse: Life & Spirit offers an inspirational journey through
the life and art of this ceaselessly inventive and life-affirming
painter.
Developed in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou in Paris, which
holds an exceptional collection of works by the artist, Matisse: Life &
Spirit is the greatest single exhibition of Matisse masterworks ever to
be seen in Sydney.
