Stedelijk Museum Announces First Dutch Matisse Survey in 60 Years

Henri Matisse, The Parakeet and the Mermaid (1952-53)

On the heels of the critically acclaimed exhibition of Matisse’s cut-outs at MoMA this winter, Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum has announced “The Oasis of Matisse,” the first Matisse survey in the Netherlands in over 60 years, set to open in late March. With over 100 works borrowed from 30 collections, the exhibition will feature more Matisse works shown together than ever before in any Dutch museum.

Matisse’s paintings, cut-outs, and other works will be displayed alongside relevant pieces from the museum’s permanent collection, including those by his contemporaries, teachers, and followers.

Bart Rutten, head of collections at the Stedelijk remarked: “Comparing and contrasting Matisse’s work with pieces in the Stedelijk collection not only allows us to see the collection afresh, but also offers remarkable insights into one of the world’s most exhibited, researched, and written-about artists. When experienced in conversation with icons from our collection, lesser-known facets of Matisse’s work are revealed.”

A centerpiece of the exhibition will be The Parakeet and the Mermaid (1952–53), a monumental, iconic paper cut-out, which will be displayed alongside both other cut-outs and rarely-seen works in fabric and stained glass that were inspired by them.

“The Oasis of Matisse” will be on display at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, NL, from March 27–August 16, 2015.


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