Henri Matisse was a French artist, known for both his unique use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a printmaker and sculptor, but is known primarily as a painter who left a massive legacy behind him.

Sydneysiders should get excited because the Art Gallery of NSW is being graced with an exclusive Matisse exhibition this November.

Matisse: life & spirit will allow visitors to discover the joy of Matisse through over 100 works which span over six decades.

This Sydney-exclusive exhibition offers an extraordinary immersion in the range and depth of the art of Henri Matisse. Developed in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou in Paris, which holds an expansive collection of works by the artist, the exhibition is set to be the largest single exhibition of his masterworks ever to be seen in Sydney.

The exhibition will follow Matisse’s incredible work across 60 years. Through paintings, drawings, sculptures and cut-outs, it reveals Matisse’s ever-changing creative vision and the many ways he celebrated the seen world and expressed its energy.

Highlights will include the especially important early work Le Luxe I from 1907; the mid-career masterpiece Decorative figure on an ornamental ground from 1925; and the majestic self-portrait The sorrow of the king from 1952, one of the largest of the famous cut-outs that the artist created in his later career.

Filled with vivid colour, dynamic energy, visual joy and emotional power, Matisse: life & spirit, masterpieces from the Centre Pompidou, Paris is set to be an incredible exhibition and one you simply cannot miss.

The exhibition will be showing from November 2020 to March 2021 at the Art Gallery of NSW. More information can be found here.