News: Matisse and his Radical Invention

 Matisse is most universally famous for his bright use of colour and flowing lines but there was a period in his life where that wasn’t always the case. When Matisse first burst onto the scene, he was an innovator whose painting was a radical revelation. However, with the advent of Cubism and the likes of Picasso hot on his heels, Matisse soon felt the pressure of change and the years from 1913 to 1917 mark his foray into this new territory.
 
A new exhibition co-curated by Stephanie D’Alessandro of the Art Institute of Chicago and John Elderfield of the Museum of Modern Art sets out to explore these years and discover whether it was a time of great confusion for Matisse, a time when he was simply bowing to external pressures to copy his cohorts, or whether it was the most heroic of his career. What can be said of these four years of work is that during which he created many of his greatest works but also some of his biggest flops.
 
“Matisse: Radical Invention 1913-1917” will be at the Art Institute of Chicago, through June 20 before it moves to the Museum of Modern Art, New York from July 18-Oct. 11.
 
Art Institute of Chicago
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MOMA
11 West 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019-5497 – (212) 708-9400‎
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