Henri Matisse
BLUE NUDE II
Serigraph
30 x 22 ins 76.2 x 55.88 cm
Available at VFA
What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity, devoid of troubling or depressing subject-matter, an art which could be for every metal worker, for the businessman as well as the man of letters, for example, a soothing, calming influence on the mind, something like a good armchair which provides relaxation from physical fatigue. - Henri Matisse
The works of Henri Matisse (1869-1954) are part of an exhibit of works on paper at the newly expanded Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art (The AGB) at Florida Southern College in Lakeland.
Matisse was best known for the pure colors he used in his paintings and the feelings he evoked. "I have always tried to hide my efforts and wished my works to have a light joyousness of springtime which never lets anyone suspect the labors it has cost me.” he said.
Matisse was diagnosed with duodenal cancer in 1941, and underwent surgery that left him unable to walk. Rather than give up his artwork, he used paper, pre-painted with gouache, to create cut-outs that often became part of large murals. “Cutting straight into colour reminds me of what a sculptor does to his stone.” he said.
He had been making cut-outs for eleven years before attempting to create a human figure with paper. In 1952, Matisse drew simplified studies of the figure before attempting to portray them in cut-out form. Those simple designs became the Blue Nude Series. A serigraph from the series is available at VFA.
Matisse to Gehry: Works on Paper, 1938-2022 (on view through September 9, 2025) is just one of the exhibits currently on view at AGB. Formerly the Polk Museum of Art, the renamed AGB opened to the public on January 18. Thanks to a donation, the museum added seven new exhibition galleries, a new creativity lab, renovated and updated classrooms, and interactive art laboratory spaces. The AGB is not only affiliated with FSC, but has also been a Smithsonian Affiliate since 2010.
Also on view at AGB is American Art Since the 1960s (on view through August 31, 2025). Both exhibits are composed of works from the AGB’s permanent collection which includes works by Andy Warhol, James Rosenquist, Kenny Scharf, Vik Muniz, Pablo Picasso, Chuck Close and Alex Katz.
Admission to the Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art is free.
Alexander Calder (1898-1976) came from a long line of sculptors…he was part of the fourth generation. As early as age eight, Calder was creating jewelry for his sister's dolls from beads and copper wire.
His jewelry is currently part of Solid Gold, and exhibit celebrating the Brooklyn Museum’s 200th anniversary. The exhibit features more than 500 works from the museum’s collection and international loans. “While celebrating the seductive magic of this luminous material,” the museum’s website explains, “the exhibition will also confront darker histories, inviting frank discussions about the human and environmental costs of extracting gold ore from the earth. Solid Gold will immerse you in one of humankind’s most dazzling obsessions.”
Calder, who studied at the Art Students League in New York, was able to take his drawings and paintings, like Spirale et Poulpe, 1975, available at VFA, lift them off the page, and turn them into sculptures and mobiles.
Solid Gold is on view at the Brooklyn Museum through July 6, 2025.
References:
Dian Parker. Experiencing Matisse’s Joie de Vivre at Fondation Beyeler. The Observer. January 13, 2025.
