© Henri Matisse, Jeune Marin (II), Collioure, 1906 / Succession H. Matisse 2024 by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Dist. RMN / Grand Palais / image of the MMA - Shutterstock / Kiev.Victor - Henri Matisse, Nu à l’écharpe blanche, Paris, 1909 / Succession H. Matisse 2024 by Fondation Louis Vuitton / Saywho / Antoine Ayka Lux.
Some mysteries in art history persist to this day. This is the case with Matisse's masterpiece, “The Red Studio”, which is the centerpiece of an exhibition at the Louis Vuitton Foundation. Room by room, the veil is lifted on this major work by the French artist. Let’s explore!
Seeing Life in Red
In 1911, Matisse covered “The Red Studio” in Venetian red. This enigmatic painting invites the viewer into his private studio, revealing the outlines of a chest of drawers, an armchair, small decorative objects, and, notably, 11 paintings. For the first time, Matisse's painting has left the MoMA in New York to temporarily reside at the Louis Vuitton Foundation, where its secrets are unveiled.
Uniquely, all the artworks depicted in “The Red Studio” are gathered and displayed together for the first time: some well-known and others less so, like “Le jeune marin II” and “La Corse, le vieux moulin”, as well as several sculptures from his “Jeannette” series and a ceramic representing a “female nude”. With this staging, “The Red Studio” comes to life before our eyes.
The Manifesto of Abstract Expressionism
“I like it, but I don't quite understand it”, Matisse admitted after unveiling his “Red Studio”. Unknowingly, the leader of Fauvism paved the way for another movement: abstract expressionism. Many artists have openly drawn inspiration from Matisse and his studio for their own work. Among them are Mark Rothko, whose retrospective preceded this exhibition, and Ellsworth Kelly, currently featured at the Louis Vuitton Foundation.
With rapid and decisive brushstrokes, abstract motifs, and large swathes of vivid colors, Matisse disrupted the conventions of his time. But The Red Studio could have looked entirely different. MoMA scientists discovered what lies beneath the red layer: walls painted blue, a pink floor, and ocher yellow furniture. For reasons that remain unknown, Matisse covered his canvas in red. The result? An iconic painting that continues to captivate us today.
© Henri Matisse, The Red Studio, Issy-les-Moulineaux, 1911 / Succession H. Matisse 2024 by Fondation Louis Vuitton / Félix Cornu
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