The Musée d'Art Moderne in Paris has been gifted an unprecedented collection of 61 works by the legendary French artist Henri Matisse, in a move described by the institution as both historic and exceptionally generous.
A Family Legacy Unveiled
The donation was made by Barbara Dauphin Duthuit, the widow of Matisse's grandson, Claude Duthuit. For decades, the artworks had remained within the Matisse family, with the artist himself preferring to retain his pieces rather than sell them. The museum's director, Fabrice Hergott, hailed the gift as an act of deep commitment, effectively making the museum "Marguerite's new home for the decades and centuries to come."
This significant contribution follows a previous donation by Duthuit in 2013, when she gave the Pompidou Centre the famous portrait Marguerite with a Black Cat. The decision to permanently bequeath the current collection to the Musée d'Art Moderne came as a complete surprise to the museum, even though many of the works had been on loan for a special exhibition titled 'Matisse et Marguerite' just last year.
The Story of Marguerite: Muse and Resistance Hero
The heart of this collection is Marguerite Matisse, the artist's daughter and his favourite subject. Born from Matisse's relationship with model Caroline Joblau, Marguerite was formally recognised by her father. She later joined his household when he married Amélie Parayre, living with her half-brothers, Jean and Pierre.
Her life was marked by both fragility and immense courage. 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 her delicate health, Marguerite became a member of the French Resistance during the Second World War. She was captured, tortured by the Gestapo, and faced deportation to a Nazi concentration camp.
After the war, she abandoned her own painting career to become her father's dedicated assistant and agent, a role she maintained until his death in 1954. She was still cataloguing his vast oeuvre when she passed away in Paris in 1982, aged 87.
A Collection of Intimate Portraits
The donated works span a variety of mediums, offering an intimate glimpse into the artist's family life. The collection includes:
- Paintings and drawings of Marguerite from different eras.
- Etchings and lithographs.
- A sculpture.
Notable pieces featured in the announcement include Marguerite endormie (1920), Marguerite au peignoir (1920), and Études pour Marguerite lisant (1906). Hergott described these portraits as "extremely beautiful and moving."
This donation of 61 pieces will join the 20 Matisse works already in the museum's possession, substantially strengthening its holding of one of the 20th century's most influential artists and preserving the legacy of his remarkable daughter for the public.
