Henri Matisse - Forms in Freedom

February 14 (Wed), 2024 - May 27 (Mon), 2024

Past Exhibitions
Special Exhibitions

Henri Matisse (1869-1954) is known as one of the greatest masters of the 20th-century art. He emerged in Paris as a central figure in Fauvism, a style characterized by the daring liberation of color from the role of reproducing nature. In Nice, where he spent most of the latter half of his life, Matisse prolifically painted a remarkable variety of models and objects at his studio, and eventually arrived at the series known as Cut-Outs, in which he cut shapes and images out of colored paper with scissors and pasted them onto other sheets of paper.

This exhibition will feature a total of about 150 works and archival materials from the collection of the Musée Matisse Nice, France, including paintings, sculptures, prints, and textiles, with a particular focus on the Cut-Outs. Notably, Flowers and Fruits a large and stunning Cut-Out from the museum's collection, is a must-see, restored in France for this exhibition and on view in Japan for the first time.

The exhibition will also focus on the Chapelle du Rosaire de Vence (often referred to as the Vence Chapel), which was built in Matisse's final years and can be seen as a culmination of his long career, and will present aspects of this masterpiece from architecture to interior decoration and ceremonial dress.

Overview

Period

February 14 (Wed), 2024 – May 27 (Mon), 2024

Closed on Tuesdays
*Open on April 30 (Tue.)

Opening Hours

10:00-18:00
*10:00-20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays
*April 28（Sun.）, May 5（Sun.）10:00-20:00
(Last admission 30 minutes before closing)

Venue

The National Art Center, Tokyo
Special Exhibition Gallery 2E
7-22-2 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-8558

Organized by

The National Art Center, Tokyo; Musée Matisse, Nice; The Yomiuri Shimbun; Nippon Television Network Corporation

With the special sponsorship of
Canon

With the sponsorship of
Dai Nippon Printing (DNP)

With the cooperation of
Japan Airlines Co., Ltd.; Nippon Cargo Airlines Co., Ltd.; YAMATO TRANSPORT CO., LTD.

With the support of
Ambassade de France au Japon / Institut Français du Japon; J-WAVE

Admission (tax included)

General	2,200 yen (Adults), 1,400 yen (College students), 1,000 yen (High school students)
Advance	2,000 yen (Adults), 1,200 yen (College students), 800 yen (High school students)

Visitors who are junior high school students or younger will be admitted for free.
Disabled persons (along with the one assistant) will be admitted for free upon presenting the Disabled Person’s Booklet or an equivalent form of government-issued ID.
Free entrance to the exhibition for high school students from April 3 (Wed.) to April 8 (Mon.), 2024, upon presenting student ID.
No reservation required for this exhibition. For more information regarding tickets, please visit the ticket page on the exhibition website.(These services are only available in Japanese.)
Reduction (100 yen off) applies to visitors who present the ticket stub of a current exhibition at The National Art Center, Tokyo; Suntory Museum of Art; or Mori Art Museum (Art Triangle Roppongi). Please show the ticket stub at the "Henri Matisse - Forms in Freedom" exhibition ticket booth.
Students, faculty and staff, of “Campus Members”, can view this exhibition for 1,200 yen (students) and 2,000 yen (faculty/staff). Please purchase tickets at the "Henri Matisse - Forms in Freedom" exhibition ticket booth.
Credit card (Master Card, VISA, JCB, AMEX, Diners Club, DISCOVER, 銀聯, QUICPay), e-cash (Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, etc.), iD, Union Pay are available for purchasing tickets.

Inquiries

(+81) 47-316-2772 (Hello Dial)

Exhibition Highlights

1 Complete introduction to Matisse's favored method: Cut-Outs

This is the first time that an exhibition in Japan has centered around Cut-Outs, which Matisse was fixated on in his later years. This would become his most outstanding form of expression at the pinnacle of his long life as an artist.

2 First display in Japan of the 4 x 8 meter masterpiece Flowers and Fruits

Flowers and Fruits is the Cut-Out masterpiece that greets visitors as they enter the main hall of the Musée Matisse de Nice.
This is the first display of Flowers and Fruits in Japan following its restoration for the purpose of this exhibition.

3 Experience the chapel that was the culmination of Matisse's artistic endeavors

The Chapelle du Rosaire, constructed in Vence in the outskirts of Nice, is the culmination of Matisse's artistic endeavors. Matisse made use of Cut-Outs from his later years and designed the interior decorations of the building as well as the priestly vestments. The exhibition hall will recreate the experience of being inside the chapel.