Don't miss Matisse and Ellsworth Kelly at Fondation Louis Vuitton

Henri Matisse, L’Atelier rouge, Issy-les-Moulineaux, 1911

(Image credit: © Succession H. Matisse. © Digital image, The Museum of Modern Art, New York / Scala, Florence)

It is the last chance to see two landmark exhibitions at Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. The first, titled ‘Matisse, The Red Studio’, is dedicated to an iconic painting by Henri Matisse, and is presented parallel with a new retrospective of work by Ellsworth Kelly, featuring paintings, sculptures, photographs and drawings. The pair of exhibitions is a nod to the artists’ respective creative visions, which proposed a new wave of modernity and altered the trajectory of contemporary art.

‘Matisse, The Red Studio’ and ‘Ellsworth Kelly. Shapes and Colors, 1949-2015’

Henri Matisse, Jeune Marin (II), Collioure, 1906 — Henri Matisse, *Jeune Marin (II), Collioure*, 1906

In collaboration with the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen, Fondation Louis Vuttion’s ‘Matisse, The Red Studio’ celebrates the history of the artist’s 1911 masterpiece, which depicts his studio of artworks, sculptures and furniture. For the first time, the exhibition unites all the works within the canvas since they left Matisse’s studio in Issy- les-Moulineaux, and features six paintings, three sculptures and one ceramic. The presentation also includes archival material and related paintings and drawings.

Roger Fry, Une salle de la seconde Exposition Post-Impressionniste, 1912 — Roger Fry, *Une salle de la seconde Exposition Post-Impressionniste*, 1912

‘Now over 110 years old, The Red Studio is both a landmark within the centuries-long tradition of studio paintings and a foundational work of modern art’, says Ann Temkin, MoMA’s chief curator. ‘The picture remains a touchstone for any artist taking on the task of portraying their studio. Matisse’s radical decision to saturate the work’s surface with a layer of red has fascinated generations of scholars and artists, including Ellsworth Kelly. Yet much remains to be explored in terms of the painting’s origin and history.’

Ellsworth Kelly, Spectrum VIII, 2014 — Ellsworth Kelly, *Spectrum VIII*, 2014

Also showing is ‘Ellsworth Kelly. Shapes and Colors, 1949-2015’. The late American artist is known for his abstract paintings and sculptures, and the retrospective reflects on his use of shape, colour, line and space. Works on view showcase his fluid range across varying mediums, inspired by the world around him.

Ellsworth Kelly, Red Curve in Relief, 2009 — Ellsworth Kelly, *Red Curve in Relief*, 2009

Celebrating the centenary of the artist’s birth, the exhibition is the first in France to showcase an expansive range of his work.

‘Matisse, The Red Studio’ and ‘Ellsworth Kelly. Shapes and Colors, 1949-2015’ are on display until 9 September 2024 at Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris

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Tianna Williams is Wallpaper’s staff writer. When she isn’t writing extensively across varying content pillars, ranging from design and architecture to travel and art, she also helps put together the daily newsletter. She enjoys speaking to emerging artists, designers and architects, writing about gorgeously designed houses and restaurants, and day-dreaming about her next travel destination.