Wednesday, November 7, 2018

A Surprising Connection



The Heard Museum has a new exhibition that features some artwork by Henri Matisse, an artist I would never expect to see in a museum dedication to the art of Native American people.

The pieces by Matisse include works that have not been publicly shown in the United States before and include a vast array of black and white portraits that were inspired in part by some Yup'ik (Native Alaskan) masks that were collected by his son-in-law Georges Duthuit.
















Some of the masks were also included in the exhibit and they were equally intriguing.

The photo at the top is of a catalogue of the masks that was illustrated by Matisse and below that is one of the many drawings.  the last two photos are of some of the masks.

Along with the drawings and the masks, there were photographs, films and other objects included in the exhibit.

It was interesting to learn something totally unexpected about a well known Great Master.

12 comments:

biebkriebels said...

That is a surprise indeed, interesting to see.

PerthDailyPhoto said...

The masks are fascinating Sharon, masks with expressions! We find out new facts every day when blogging ✨

RedPat said...

That looks like a fabulous show, Sharon!

Steve Reed said...

That IS interesting. And those masks are incredible.

William Kendall said...

I wouldn't have expected that out of him, but you can see why he would have been artistically drawn to the masks.

Lois said...

A fascinating surprise Sharon!

Bill said...

Surprises are always welcomed, these masks are incredible. Looks like a fanastic exhibition to see.

Lowell said...

I find this exhibition most interesting; enchanting, even! It's amazing that an artist, with just a few strokes of a pen or brush, can capture the essence of a person on a piece of paper. And those masks are wonderful. I probably shouldn't have, but I laughed out loud when I first saw them. Fantastic!

Catarina said...

There is a connection after all.

Catalyst said...

I read about that exhibit the other day and also was intrigued by the interest by Matisse in Native American artworks.

Amy said...

I haven't seen much by him, but those I have seen I enjoy looking at.

Jack said...

It is fun seeing the influences that lead artists to make what they make. Sometimes that takes a bit of the mystery away, and makes the works seem less imaginative, but still I find it interesting to be informed about influences.