The Musée d'Art Moderne (MAM) in Paris has been gifted an extraordinary and historic collection of 61 works by the legendary French artist Henri Matisse. The donation, described by the museum as exceptionally generous, comes directly from the artist's family and includes a remarkable array of paintings, drawings, etchings, lithographs, and a sculpture.
A Family Legacy Comes Home
The collection was donated by Barbara Dauphin Duthuit, the widow of Matisse's grandson, Claude Duthuit, who passed away in 2011. For decades, these precious pieces remained within the Matisse family, as the artist himself preferred to keep his work close rather than sell it. The museum's director, Fabrice Hergott, hailed the gesture as a profound act of trust, stating it effectively makes the MAM "Marguerite's new home for the decades and centuries to come."
Notably, most of the donated artworks feature Matisse's daughter, Marguerite, who was his favourite subject. This follows a previous donation by Duthuit in 2013, when she gave the Pompidou Centre the famous portrait Marguerite with a Black Cat.
The Story of Marguerite: Muse and Resistance Hero
Marguerite Matisse led a life as compelling as her portraits. Born from Matisse's relationship with model Caroline Joblau, she was formally recognised by her father and brought into his family after his marriage. Her life was marked by early adversity; at age six, she survived diphtheria after an emergency tracheotomy, a scar she concealed with high necklines for years until corrective surgery at 26.
Despite fragile health, Marguerite displayed immense courage during the Second World War by joining the French Resistance. She was captured, tortured by the Gestapo, and faced deportation to a Nazi concentration camp. After the war, she set aside her own painting career to become her father's dedicated assistant and agent until his death in 1954. She was still cataloguing his vast oeuvre when she died in Paris in 1982, aged 87.
An Unexpected and Significant Gift
While many of the 61 works were loaned to the MAM for its Matisse et Marguerite exhibition last year, the decision to make the donation permanent was a complete surprise to the museum. This significant addition will join the 20 Matisse works already in the museum's possession, substantially strengthening its holdings of the artist's work.
Hergott described the portraits of Marguerite as "extremely beautiful and moving," a sentiment that underscores the deep personal and historical value of this collection. The donation not only enriches France's national art treasury but also ensures the enduring legacy of both Henri Matisse and his remarkable daughter is preserved and celebrated for future generations.
