Henri Matisse with "The Serpentine"

From: San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Limited Edition: 19
Exhibition: Matisse: Painter as Sculptor
Material: Printed vinyl
Dimensions: 35" x 72" (88cm x 182cm)

Hanging Hardware Included

Description

The life of French artist Henri Matisse spanned many of the world’s most dramatic technological advances, horrific wars, and shocking societal changes, yet his work seems to dwell in an idyllic realm beyond this. His works are beautiful, attainable, joyful, and ground-breaking in their very lack of that which most often defines the “modern”. Known for his fauvist paintings and colorful cutouts, Matisse’s sculptures have often been overlooked. Inspired and influenced by the masterful work of his contemporary, Auguste Rodin, Matisse took a painter’s approach to sculpture stating, “I did my sculpture as a painter. I did not work as a sculptor.”

The exhibition Matisse: Painter as Sculptor brought together some of Matisse’s sculptures displayed side-by-side with paintings, works on paper, and cutouts. Banners from the exhibition feature a 1909 photograph of Matisse taken by Edward Steichen. In the photo, Matisse gazes intently at a plaster cast of his sculpture The Serpentine. Below the image is a white band with the sponsors’ names in black, “Bank of America/Koret Foundation Funds”.

The other side of the banner is features white and yellow areas with the exhibition title and dates in red and black text, “Matisse/Painter as Sculptor/Jun 9 – Sep 16”. The museum’s distinctive “SFMOMA” logo is printed in black at the bottom of the banner.

Provenance

These banners were displayed around San Francisco to promote the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s exhibition Matisse: Painter as Sculptor from June 9 – September 16, 2007. The exhibition was also seen at the Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, and the Baltimore Museum of Art.

About the Artist

Learn more about Henri Matisse