Major Henri Matisse Retrospective Opens at H’ART Museum - H’ART Museum

H’ART Museum and Centre Pompidou open Chez Matisse. Masterpieces from Centre Pompidou. The exhibition presents a multifaceted overview of the oeuvre of Henri Matisse (1869–1954), one of the most important pioneers of modern art and one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. A total of 80 works from the collection of Centre Pompidou are on view, including paintings, sculptures and graphic works. Alongside works by Matisse, the exhibition also features works by the many artists he inspired and by whom he himself was inspired, from peers to later followers. His work is presented alongside that of, among others, Barnett Newman, Mark Rothko, Pablo Picasso, and Sonia Delaunay. This reveals how Matisse’s innovative approach to colour, form, and composition continued to influence modern and contemporary art. 

Chez Matisse is the third major retrospective of Matisse ever held in the Netherlands and is on view at H’ART Museum in Amsterdam from Saturday, 3 October 2026 through Sunday, 14 February 2027.
 

Centre Pompidou in Paris holds one of the most comprehensive Matisse collections in the world. The fact that so many audience favourites are travelling to Amsterdam at the same time has been made possible in part by the long-term collaboration between the two museums. The exhibition brings together key works from different periods, including Luxe, calme et volupté (1904), Figure décorative sur fond ornemental (1925–1926), Le Rêve (1935), La Blouse roumaine (1940), Intérieur jaune et bleu (1946) and Grand Intérieur rouge (1948). Together, these works highlight important developments in Matisse’s artistic practice: from his early experiments with colour and light to the increasingly free and decorative visual language of his later work. 

The exhibition design by Tatyana van Walsum (spatial design) and Marline Bakker (graphic design) is based on ‘the window‘, a recurring motif in Matisse’s work. In his paintings, the window connects the outside world with the interior, while allowing him to experiment with light, colour and space. In the exhibition, ‘the window‘ is given a contemporary interpretation through frames, openings and sightlines that connect the works of Matisse with those of his contemporaries and followers. Visitors are thus invited to look through the eyes of Matisse: at his work, his vision and the influence he had, and continues to have, on generations of artists.

Young visitors will also be invited to discover the world of Matisse. During the school holidays, families can take part in special guided tours and creative workshops exploring colour, emotions and ‘the window’: through the eyes of Matisse. Children aged six and over can discover the exhibition with a special discovery trail. Educational programmes are also available for primary school pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6, as well as for students in vocational education. 

From his early Self-Portrait of 1900 to his later paintings and iconic cut-outs (in the exhibition in print), Chez Matisse offers a broad introduction to an artist who continued to reinvent himself throughout his life. His teacher Gustave Moreau predicted it early on: ‘You are going to simplify painting.’ In the years that followed, Matisse reinvented painting through his free use of colour and his continuous search for new forms and materials. The exhibition shows how his personal and artistic journey went hand in hand with the innovations in his work.  
 
Mutual influence is also central to the exhibition. Alongside Matisse, works by contemporaries and artists from later generations are on view, including Pierre Bonnard (1867–1947), Kees van Dongen (1877–1968), Sonia Delaunay (1885–1979), Mark Rothko (1903–1970), Barnett Newman (1905–1970), Pablo Picasso (1921–1975), Ellsworth Kelly (1923–2015), Shirley Jaffe (1923–2016) and Daniel Buren (1938). Together, they show how Matisse continues to inspire modern and contemporary art.

A richly illustrated catalogue, Chez Matisse (€39.95), accompanies the exhibition. The book traces Matisse’s artistic development and shows how his innovative work played a defining role within the international avant-garde of modern art. Chez Matisse is a publication by H’ART Museum and Centre Pompidou, published by WBOOKS and designed by Vanessa van Dam.

The title Chez Matisse literally means ‘at Matisse’s home’. The exhibition takes visitors into the world of the painter, his friendships and contemporaries, the artists he inspired and the period in which he lived. It reveals the unique place Matisse has earned in art history, and why his work continues to resonate with so many people. 
 
This exhibition is made possible in part thanks to the invaluable support of founder VriendenLoterij; partners Aegon, ELJA Foundation, the City of Amsterdam and ABN AMRO; the funds Blockbusterfonds, Fonds 21, Zabawas and JK Stichting; as well as the H’ART Museum Circle and Friends. 

Since 1977, Centre Pompidou has been a place of living, engaged culture, a multidisciplinary center deeply rooted in society and open to the world. In 2025, it embarked on a true metamorphosis, allowing it to remain active and dynamic throughout its renovation and until its reopening in 2030. Through the Constellation program, the spirit of Centre Pompidou is embodied in numerous partner locations in France and abroad, including Centre Pompidou-Metz, the Grand Palais, and soon Centre Pompidou Francilien in Massy.    

For the past fifteen years, Centre Pompidou has strengthened its international presence through traveling exhibitions, exceptional loans, and lasting collaborations. This approach aims to disseminate its collections, share expertise, and create dialogues between artistic scenes, while contributing to French cultural diplomacy. The opening of Centre Pompidou around the world plays a key role in this strategy. Following Malaga in 2015, Shanghai in 2019, and Seoul in May 2026, a new international location will open in Brussels in November 2026, marking an important step in the institution’s history. Centre Pompidou favors tailored and evolving collaborations, confirming its role as a key player in the global circulation of art and museum practices.  

Image credits:
(1) From left to right: Henri Matisse, Pleasure I, [summer 1907]. Collection Centre Pompidou. Public domain. Photo © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Philippe Migeat/Dist. GrandPalaisRmn; Henri Matisse, Decorative Figure On Ornamental Background, [winter 1925–1926]. Collection Centre Pompidou. Public domain. Photo © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Philippe Migeat/Dist. GrandPalaisRmn; Henri Matisse, The Romanian Blouse, April 1940. Collection Centre Pompidou. Public domain. Photo © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Philippe Migeat/Dist. GrandPalaisRmn; Henri Matisse, Yellow and Blue Interior, 1946. Collection Centre Pompidou. Public domain. Photo © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Philippe Migeat/Dist. GrandPalaisRmn.

(2) From left to right: Sonia Delaunay, Philomène, 1907. Collection Centre Pompidou © Pracusa S.A.Photo © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Hélène Mauri/Dist. GrandPalaisRmn; Françoise Gilot, Sink and Tomatoes, May 1951. Collection  

Centre Pompidou © Françoise Gilot. Photo © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Bertrand Prévost/Dist. GrandPalaisRmn; Pablo Picasso, Still Life with Candlestick, 8 April 1944. Collection Centre Pompidou © Succession Picasso. Photo © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Jacqueline Hyde/Dist. GrandPalaisRmn; Barnett Newman, Not There-Here, 1962. Collection Centre Pompidou © The Barnett Newman Foundation / Adagp, Paris, 2026. Photo © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Audrey Laurans/Dist. GrandPalaisRmn; Mark Rothko, Untitled (Black, Red over Black on Red), 1964, Oil on canvas, 205×193 cm.  

Collection Centre Pompidou © Kate Rothko Prizel & Christopher Rothko – Adagp, Paris, 2026. Photo © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Georges Meguerditchian/Dist. GrandPalaisRmn.

Press opening invitation: Thursday, October 1 at 10:00 AM. Please register via pressoffice@hartmuseum.nl

Images can be downloaded at hartmuseum.nl/press. For special image requests, please contact us at pressoffice@hartmuseum.nl

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