Pierre Matisse, the Gallerist Who Shaped Modern Art in New York, Gets a Show in Nice
The Musée Matisse in Nice, in partnership with the Centre Pompidou, has opened a major exhibition dedicated to Pierre Matisse (1900–1989), the youngest son of Henri Matisse and one of the most influential art dealers of the 20th century. The show, curated by Claudine Grammont, spans four decades of his career from 1931 to 1968, featuring 70 works by 23 artists and a wealth of archival documents. It reconstructs his role as a gallerist, publisher, and collector who helped introduce European modernists like Alberto Giacometti, Joan Miró, Jean Dubuffet, and Balthus to the American market. The exhibition is organized chronologically: from his arrival in New York in 1924 and the founding of the Pierre Matisse Gallery in 1931, through the war years when his gallery became a hub for exiled Surrealists, to the postwar period when he championed Dubuffet and Giacometti. The show also highlights his editorial work, including monographs on Chagall and Giacometti. After his death, the gallery held over 3,500 works; his archives were donated to the Pierpont Morgan Library in 1999, and a portion of the foundation's collection went to MoMA in 2002. The exhibition runs until September 30 at the Musée Matisse in Nice.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Pierre Matisse, un marchand d’art à New York' at Musée Matisse in Nice until September 30.
- Curated by Claudine Grammont in partnership with Centre Pompidou.
- 70 works by 23 artists selected, plus numerous archival documents.
- Pierre Matisse founded his gallery in New York in 1931 at the Fuller Building.
- He represented artists including Henri Matisse, Alberto Giacometti, Joan Miró, Jean Dubuffet, Balthus, and Alexander Calder.
- His gallery became a key venue for exiled European artists during WWII, notably hosting the 1942 'Artists in Exile' show.
- After his death in 1989, the gallery held over 3,500 works.
- Archives donated to Pierpont Morgan Library in 1999; part of the foundation's collection given to MoMA in 2002.
- The exhibition covers four periods: 1931–1939, 1939–1945, 1946–1959, and 1959–1968.
- Pierre Matisse also acted as publisher, producing catalogs and monographs for his artists.
Entities
Artists
- Pierre Matisse
- Henri Matisse
- Alberto Giacometti
- Joan Miró
- Jean Dubuffet
- Balthus
- Alexander Calder
- André Masson
- Giorgio de Chirico
- Marc Chagall
- Max Ernst
- Fernand Léger
- Jacques Lipchitz
- Roberto Matta
- Piet Mondrian
- Amédée Ozenfant
- Kurt Seligmann
- Yves Tanguy
- Ossip Zadkine
- André Derain
- Raoul Dufy
- Marcel Gromaire
- Georges Rouault
- Jean Lurçat
- Jules Pascin
- Paul Matisse
- Jacqueline Matisse
- Peter Matisse
- Marcel Duchamp
- Teeny Matisse
- Maria-Gaetana von Spreti
- Lionello Venturi
- Pierre Schneider
- Claudine Grammont
- Elisabetta Villari
- Alfred H. Barr
- Arthur Everett 'Chick' Austin
- Valentine Dudensing
- Pierre Loeb
- Charles Ratton
- Curt Valentin
- Karl Nierendorf
- Paul Rosenberg
- Jsrael Ber Neumann
- Peggy Guggenheim
- Betty Parsons
- Sydney Janis
- Charles Egan
- Samuel M. Kootz
- Aimé Maeght
- André Breton
- George Platt
- A. Conger Goodyear
- Stephen C. Clark
- Samuel H. Lewishon
- James Thrall Soby
- Edward G. Robinson
- Walter P. Chrysler
- Joseph Pulitzer Jr.
Institutions
- Musée Matisse
- Centre Pompidou
- Pierre Matisse Gallery
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- Guggenheim Museum of Non-Objective Painting
- Pierpont Morgan Library
- Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation
- Fondation Mona Bismarck
- Fondation Maeght
- Fuller Building
- Artribune
- Università di Genova
- DIRAAS
- ENS Paris
- UCSC California
- EPHE
- INHA Paris
- EHESS
Locations
- Nice
- France
- New York
- United States
- Paris
- Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
- Côte d'Azur
- Madison Avenue
- 57th Street
- Genoa
- Italy
- California