At a Glance
Who are some of the most important artists of Parisian modernism? And what are the threads that run through the work of those artists? Let’s explore these questions and unpack why the School of Paris is so universally beloved through four stand-alone lectures — each focused on one of the kingpins of modernist art. Experience Cezanne, Matisse, Modigliani and Chagall while learning what makes the most innovative late-19th and early-20th century French art so extraordinary. This lecture will focus on Henri Matisse, who picked up where Paul Cézanne left off, continuing to make art that straddled the real and imagined world. “What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity,” he famously said, “something like a good armchair which provides relaxation from physical fatigue.” Explore highlights of Matisse’s career, from his early triumphs with Fauvism, to the culmination of a lifelong interest in architectural imagery with the Venice Chapel.
