Henri Matisse's legacy and influence explored in new CaixaForum exhibition

An exhibition dedicated to Henri Matisse offers a fresh look at the celebrated artist's work, legacy, and lasting influence, at CaixaForum Barcelona.

'Chez Matisse. The Legacy of a New Painting,' is open from March 27 until August 16, bringing together pieces crossing all stages of Matisse's career, from his earliest self-portraits to the artistic freedom of his later paintings and gouaches. 

The show brings together his work with major figures of modern art as well as contemporary artists who continue to draw inspiration from him.

Curated by Aurélie Verdier, head of Modern Collections at the Pompidou Centre in Paris, the exhibition aims to highlight lesser-explored perspectives on the renowned artist. Verdier said the project was driven by "the desire to share with the widest possible audience the extraordinary richness" of the Matisse collections.

The exhibition is organized in collaboration with the Caixa Foundation, and features 45 works by Matisse and 49 by other artists.

It traces more than five decades of artistic experimentation, from his early breakthroughs around 1900, when his bold use of color reshaped European painting, to his later cut-outs, which redefined pictorial space in the 1950s.

The show is divided into eight chronological sections that showcase Matisse's work and demonstrate the influence he had on artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. It also explores Matisse's dialogue with artists such as Pablo Picasso and Pierre Bonnard.

One of the standout works is 'Interior with a Bowl of Goldfish', created at the beginning of World War I. The piece reflects a period when Matisse continued to push boundaries with bold and radical experimentation, rather than relying on earlier achievements.

The exhibition also includes works by artists such as Georges Braque, Wassily Kandinsky, Le Corbusier, Robert Delaunay, Barnett Newman, and Daniel Buren.

A dedicated section explores Matisse's role in shaping later movements, including modernism, pop art, and postcolonial artistic practices. 

Another highlight is the introduction of a feminine perspective, with works by women artists such as Sonia Delaunay, Françoise Gilot, and Natalia Goncharova, shedding light on new ways of interpreting Matisse's legacy.

The exhibition marks the first major project under a renewed partnership between the Caixa Foundation and the Centre Pompidou.