New works from the Musée Matisse Nice join the exhibition dedicated to the 1930s in the work of Matisse, for its stopover in Paris!
This exhibition is co-produced by the musée Matisse in Nice, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the musées d’Orsay et de l’Orangerie. The second stage of the exhibition is presented from 1 March to 29 May 2023 at the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris.
To mark this event, items from Henri Matisse’s personal collection, the Odalisque au coffret rouge and drawings kept at the musée Matisse in Nice, joined the other masterpieces from the museum’s collection in Paris which were already on display in Philadelphia. In total, 25 works are on loan from the musée Matisse.
Restauration
The “Malagan” sculpture (a funerary effigy from Papua New Guinea), which demonstrates Matisse’s interest in the arts of the Pacific, was restored before it left. It has been thoroughly cleaned, making its polychrome more legible and restoring volume to the plume of its headdress made of vegetable fibres. The wood, weakened by several cracks, has also been strengthened.
Malagan sculpture, New Ireland (Papua New Guinea), early 20th century, carved, painted hardwood, plant fibres, shells, 131 x 24 x 22 cm, bequest of Mrs Henri Matisse, 1960
A close-up look at how the works were packed and crated before being transported from Nice to Paris :
