Matisse: Drawings and Prints 1915-1947
May 17 - September 3, 2011Statement
Henri Matisse
Drawings and Prints: 1915-1947
May 17 – July 30, 2011
John Berggruen Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of drawings and prints by Henri Matisse. The exhibition opens Tuesday, May 17th and continues through Saturday, July 30th. Henri Matisse: Drawings and Prints: 1915-1947 coincides with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s exhibition The Steins Collect: Matisse, Picasso, and the Parisian Avant-Garde, on view from May 21-September 6, 2011.
This exhibition presents an extensive collection of works on paper, several of which are included in the collection of the Pierre Matisse family. Matisse’s versatility with different media such as pen and ink, charcoal, and pencil will be showcased, along with his facility with delicate etchings, as well as lithographs and aquatints. Several of the pochoirs from his famous “Jazz” series will also be on view. This varied grouping of works reveals Matisse's life-long fascination with the figure, pattern, and decoration.
Matisse considered his drawing to be a very intimate means of expression and favored subjects such as the female figure or still-life. Often these drawings were made to inform his paintings and sculptures; therefore, he felt that these drawings should be quick, gestural exercises to capture the form and emotion evoked in him by the subject. John Elderfield notes in his renowned essay “(Drawing) allowed Matisse to consider simultaneously the character of the model, the human expression, the quality of the surrounding light, atmosphere and all that can only be expressed by drawing.” (The Drawings of Henry Matisse, exh. Cat., Arts Council of Great Britain, 1984, p. 84).
Matisse's experiments with printmaking, which focus on lines and shapes, creating black-and-white works that are by turns bold, delicate, and playful. The artist once said of his engravings, "It's about learning and re-learning the writing of lines." Matisse created new artistic languages in his prints, and this body of work reflects his tireless experimentation.
For further information and photographs, please contact Tatem Read at 415.781.4629 or tatem@berggruen.com.
Gallery hours: Monday - Friday: 9:30-5:30
Saturday: 10:30-5:00
Artists
Henri Matisse
Exhibition Works
Danseuse reflétée dans la glace 1927 Lithograph printed on China paper 15 5/8 x 11 1/4 inches AP 7/10
Eva, Grande Chevelure 1948 Charcoal on paper 20 11/16 x 16 inches
Femme Assise (Yvonne) 1914 Charcoal on paper 25 7/8 x 20 inches
Femme au chien sur le petit lit vert 1929 Pen and India ink on paper 17 x 21 inches
Femme en Robe Longue de Dos 1930 Pen and India ink on paper 26 3/16 x 10 1/8 inches
Femme nue assise dans un fauteuil Pen and India ink on paper 12 3/8 x 9 inches
Femme, Bras Levée Pencil on paper 15 x 11 1/16 inches
Figure Mains jointes et Nappe à Décor persan (D. 183) 1929 Etching on Chine appliqué to Arches 15 x 11 1/8 inches 3/25
La robe d'organdi 1922 Lithograph printed in China paper 16 3/4 x 11 inches AP 9/10
Le cauchemar de l'éléphant blanc from "Jazz" 1947 Pochoir printed in colors 16 5/8 x 25 1/2 inches 151/270
Le cirque from "Jazz" 1947 Pochoir printed in colors 16 5/8 x 25 1/2 inches 151/270
Monsieur Loyal from "Jazz" 1947 Pochoir printed in colors 16 5/8 x 25 1/2 inches 151/270
Le Repos de Modèle 1922 Lithograph printed in China paper 10 7/8 x 14 3/8 inches Edition of 575
Marie-José en Robe Jaune (D. 817) 1950 Aquatint printed in colors on Arches wove paper 29 7/8 x 22 1/4 inches 30/100
Masque d'après D.A. II 1948 Aquatint printed on Marais paper 12 3/8 x 9 7/8 inches 8/25
Nu Agenouillé, de Face Conté crayon and pencil on paper 10 7/16 x 7 1/8 inches
Nu Assis Pen and ink on paper 9 3/8 x 12 3/8 inches
Nu assis et portrait de Madame Cézanne 1929 Etching printed on chine appliqué 8 x 6 inches 13/25
Nu au Coussin bleu à côté d'une cheminée 1925 Lithograph printed on Arches vellum 29 3/4 x 22 inches 25/50
Nu au turban 1929 Lithograph printed on Japan paper 10 5/8 x 17 1/2 inches 10/50
Nu couché au paravent Louis XIV 1923 Lithograph printed on China paper 5 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches 24/50
Nu dans un intérieur Pen and India ink on paper 15 x 11 inches
Nu, Fauteuil au Fond c. 1928 Pencil on paper 15 x 11 inches
Odalisque (au Fauteuil) 1928 Pen and ink on paper 10 x 13 inches
Odalisque debout au plateau de fruits 1924 Lithograph printed on Japan paper 14 3/4 x 10 7/8 inches Essai/50
Portrait of Henriette with decorative background c. 1928 Pen and ink on paper 9 x 12 inches
Tête de Profil 1945 Conté crayon on paper 10 3/16 x 13 3/8 inches
Vase de Lierre c. 1915 Charcoal on paper 22 x 14 3/4 inches