Overview:

This groundbreaking exhibition presents the first sustained examination of one of the most
important periods of Matisse’s career—the years in which he labored over the Art Institute’s
monumental and mysterious Bathers by a River among other works. Merging new art historical and archival information with new scientific technologies, Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913–1917 offers a fresh look at this modern master’s most ambitious and inspiring work. 

Rigorously purged of descriptive detail, sharply composed, and dominated by the colors black and gray, the works Matisse produced between late 1913 and 1917 are among his most demanding, experimental, and enigmatic. Though Matisse himself identified two canvases from this time—Bathers by a River and The Moroccans—as among his most “pivotal,” scholars have typically described these and other works of the period as singular responses to Cubism or World War I, disconnected from the rest of his artistic career.

Henri Matisse. Bathers by a River, 1909, 1913, 1916. Charles H. and Mary F. S. Worcester Collection. © 2010 Succession H. Matisse / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

This original exhibition is the first to offer an in-depth exploration of Matisse’s work from this important period, revealing fascinating information about his working methods, experimental techniques, and compositional choices, uncovered through extensive new historical, technical, and scientific research undertaken at the Art Institute and the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Employing fascinating new information, the exhibition illustrates the deep connections between works and their critical role in an ambitious, cohesive project of developing what Matisse called “the methods of modern construction”—a process in which the act of creation itself was the main focus.

Powerfully representing this remarkable aspect of his career are nearly 120 paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints from around the world. Also on display are the artist’s innovative etchings, engravings, and monotypes—prints made only during this period—as well as the little-known series “Civil Prisoners of Bohain-en-Vermandois” which demonstrates how the artist attempted to unite art,
life, and wartime concerns in the early 20th century. The accompanying catalogue, incorporating over 650 illustrations, offers a new kind of art history fully integrating historical, technical, and scientific information to provide a fresh understanding of this popular artist’s most experimental and surprising creations.

Catalogue: The accompanying catalogue, incorporating over 650 illustrations, offers a new kind of art history fully integrating historical, technical, and scientific information to provide a fresh understanding of this popular artist’s most experimental and surprising creations.

Organizer: The exhibition was co-organized by the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Other Venues:

The Museum of Modern Art, New York:
July 18–October 11, 2010

Sponsor:

Major funding in memory of Bette and Neison Harris is generously provided by the Harris Family Foundation: Katherine P. Harris, Caryn and King Harris, Toni and Ron Paul, Pam and Joe Szokol, Linda and Bill Friend, Stephanie and John Harris. Additional funding is provided by Emily Rauh Pulitzer.

This project was partially funded by a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Bureau of Tourism.


Major funding for the exhibition catalogue is generously provided by the Aaron I. Fleischman Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Dedalus Foundation.