- Title: FRANCE: MATISSE EXHIBITION IN PARIS
- Date: 20th April 1970
- Summary: 1. GV GRAND PALAIS EXT. 0.06 2. CU SIGN: "HENRI MATISSE" 0.11 3. MV INT. VISITORS LOOKING AT PAINTINGS 0.16 4. SV & CU NO.60 "LA FENETRE" (2 SHOTS) (PAINTED IN 1905) (FROM COLLECTION OF JOHN WHITNEY, NEW YORK) 0.27 5. SV ONLOOKERS 0.30 6. MV & CUS NO.82 "MARIN II" (3 SHOTS) (PAINTED IN 1907) (FROM MR. MRS. J. GELMAN, MEXICO) 0.43 7. CU SIGNATURE OF HENRI MATISSE ON PAINTING 0.46 8. MV & CUS NO.89 "LA DESERTTE ROUGE" (3 SHOTS) (PAINTED IN 1908) (FROM ERMITAGE MUSEUM, LENINGRAD) 0.59 9. CU ONLOOKER 1.02 10. MV & CUS NO.99 "FILLE AU CHAT NOIR" (3 SHOTS) (PAINTED IN 1910) (FROM PRIVATE COLLECTION) 1.13 Initials PF/V/DW/OS Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 5th May 1970 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVA8P9ALYOYCAFJM406DNXJKWIS6
- Story Text: FRANCE IS CELEBRATING THIS YEAR THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF THE GREAT IMPRESSIONIST PAINTER HENRI MATISSE. TO MARK THE EVENT, OVER 200 OF THE PAINTER'S GREATEST WORKS ARE ON DISPLAY IN PARIS.
MATISSE, WITH PICASSO, IS PROBABLY THE MOST FAMOUS PAINTER OF THE 20TH CENTURY. THE GRAND PALAIS IN PARIS WILL HOUSE FOR FIVE MONTHS THE GREATEST COLLECTION OF MATISSE'S PAINTINGS EVER GATHERED UNDER ONE ROOF. THE EXHIBITION OFFICIALLY OPENS ON WEDNESDAY (APRIL 22) AND WILL CLOSE ON SEPTEMBER 21.
THE ORGANISERS SCOURED THE WORLD TO PUT TOGETHER THIS OUTSTANDING EXHIBITION OF MASTERPIECES. MATISSE HAD BEEN PAINTING FOR OVER 60 YEARS WHEN HE DIED IN 1954. HIS PAINTINGS HAD BEEN SOLD TO MANY WEALTHY COLLECTORS ABROAD AND SOME OF HIS BEST WORKS HAD GONE TO AMERICA AND, BEFORE WORLD WAR I, TO CZARIST RUSSIA.
MORE THAN 100 OF THE PAINTINGS WERE LENT BY AMERICAN MUSEUMS AND ART GALLERIES, AS WELL AS PRIVATE COLLECTORS FROM THE U.S.A. LENINGRAD AND MOSCOW SUPPLIED ANOTHER 20. OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE EXHIBITION CAME FROM BRITAIN, NORWAY, SWEDEN, SWITZERLAND AND, NATURALLY, FROM MATISSE'S NATIVE FRANCE.
IT WAS WHEN HE WAS 20 YEARS OF AGE THAT YOUNG MATISSE, THEN A LAWYER'S CLERK, FELL ILL WITH APPENDICITIS. TO HELP HIM WHILE AWAY THE TIME WHILE HE WAS IN BED IN HOSPITAL, HIS MOTHER GAVE HIM A SMALL BOX OF PAINTS. HE LEFT THE HOSPITAL NEVER TO RETURN TO HIS LAW OFFICE. FOR THE NEXT 64 YEARS HE PAINTED EVERY DAY OF HIS LIFE AND JUST BEFORE HE DIED HE TOLD A FRIEND: "I WORKED ALL MY LIFE FROM MORNING TILL NIGHT." FIFTEEN YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH, HIS WORKS APPEAR YOUNGER AND MORE MODERN THAN EVEN IN HIS OWN LIFETIME.
SYNOPSIS: TO MARK THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF THE PAINTER HENRI MATISSE, MORE THAN 200 OF THE PAINTER GREATEST WORKS ARE ON DISPLAY AT THE GRAND PALAIS IN PARIS. THE EXHIBITION OPENS THIS WEEKS AND WILL CLOSE IN FIVE MONTHS.
OVER 100 OF THE PAINTINGS CAME ON LOAN FROM AMERICA, INCLUDING "LA FENETRE", "THE WINDOW" FROM THE PRIVATE COLLECTION OF MR. JOHN SHITNEY IN NEW YORK.
ART COLLECTORS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD CONTRIBUTED. THIS PAINTING "MARIN II" BELONGS TO AN ART LOVER IN MEXICO. AND THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT ITS VALUE AND GENUINESS.
SOVIET MUSEUMS LOANED 20 OF THEIR MATISSE PAINTINGS. "LA DESERTTE ROUGE" NORMALLY HANGS IN THE ERMITAGE MUSEUM IN LENINGRAD.
HENRI MATISSE DIED IN 1954 BUT HIS PAINTINGS HAVE A FRESHNESS AND YOUTH THAT NEVER TIRES.
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