Morris Museum to open Henri Matisse exhibition featuring rare drawings from Mourlot Archive
MORRIS TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Morris County) — The Morris Museum will open a new exhibition next month showcasing rare works by French artist Henri Matisse, including several pieces that have never been publicly displayed.
The exhibition, titled “Henri Matisse: Beyond Color,” will feature 71 drawings on loan from the Mourlot Archive, highlighting Matisse’s collaboration with master lithographer Fernand Mourlot during the final decades of his career.
The collection explores the creation of 13 artist books that combined poetry and line drawing, reflecting Matisse’s evolving artistic vision as well as the personal and historical challenges he faced from the 1930s through his death in 1954.
The exhibition will open during the museum’s gala on April 11 and to the public the following day, running through Aug. 9.
“In poor health, separated from his family, and working through the hardships of war, Matisse pursued with new purpose the foundational strand of artistic excellence—drawing—in ways that redefined his ultimate place within the canon of Modernism,” said Thomas J. Loughman, Morris Museum President and CEO. “The works—faithfully stewarded by Mourlot’s descendants and presented through a most personal lens of art making and creativity amid crisis—are inspiring. This is a project we can all look to amid our own challenges today.”
The exhibition examines how themes such as love, beauty, mortality and sensuality appear in Matisse’s work and connect across time. It also highlights the artist’s experiences during World War II, including separation from his family, declining health and the impact of political and cultural upheaval.
In addition to drawings, the exhibition will include handwritten page proofs, trial prints, original lithographic stones, Mourlot’s printing press and correspondence between Matisse and Mourlot, offering insight into their artistic and technical process.
Museum officials said the exhibition aims to provide visitors with a deeper understanding of Matisse’s later work and the relationship between visual art and literature during a pivotal period in his life.
