Henri Matisse, Flowers and fruits. A Major Restoration

WRITTEN IN FRENCH

Fleurs et fruits (Flowers and fruits) is a monumental composition of cut-out gouache papers created by Henri Matisse (1869-1954) two years before his death. Bequeathed to the City of Nice by Amélie Matisse in 1958, it is the largest cut-out gouache in French collections and an exceptional...

WRITTEN IN FRENCH

Fleurs et fruits (Flowers and fruits) is a monumental composition of cut-out gouache papers created by Henri Matisse (1869-1954) two years before his death. Bequeathed to the City of Nice by Amélie Matisse in 1958, it is the largest cut-out gouache in French collections and an exceptional testimony to what is considered the apotheosis of Matisse's work.

On the occasion of its exhibition at the National Art Center in Tokyo, as part of a unique "hors les murs" of the Musée Matisse collection organized by the Yomiuri Shimbun, a vast restoration project was carried out on this large cut-out gouache, as well as its installation in a new custom-made display case, guaranteeing its preservation for future generations.

The book retraces this adventure. It opens with an essay by Anne Coron, an art historian specializing in Matisse's cut-out gouaches, who carried out an in-depth investigation of Fleurs et fruits, and then gives the floor to the players who made the work's new presentation possible (the museum's conservation team, heritage restorers, vitrine manufacturer, fitters, etc.). It also looks back at the scientific analysis campaign carried out by CICRP engineers, which has opened up new avenues of research into gouache-cut paper, a fragile medium that is still too little studied from a technical point of view.

Richly illustrated, this book is aimed at professionals and amateurs alike, curious to discover the secrets and challenges involved in conserving a masterpiece.

French
84 pages

Bernard Chauveau Édition