Inside the show: Matisse in the Studio

Inside the show: Matisse in the Studio

By Amy Macpherson

Published 2 November 2017

From African masks to ornate furniture, the objects that Henri Matisse collected throughout his life played a key role in his art. Learn more in these videos with curator Ann Dumas.

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Yellow Odalisque

In his colourful painting ‘Yellow Odalisque’ (1937), Matisse revels in the decorative effects of two very different objects - a French pewter jug and a small, ornate table from North Africa.

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The influence of African masks

Curator Ann Dumas explains how African masks made a strong impact on Matisse’s portraiture, in this case a series of sculpted heads that became progressively more abstract.

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The Venetian chair

Matisse became “obsessed” with this ornate Venetian chair, and created a number of works in direct response to it. Ann Dumas explains what it was that so intrigued him about this object.

Matisse in the Studio is at the RA until 12 November 2017.

Exhibition organised by the Royal Academy of Arts, London, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in partnership with the Musée Matisse, Nice.