''Le Bateau'' ("The Boat") is a
paper-cut from 1953 by
Henri Matisse
Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known prima ...
. The picture is composed from pieces of paper cut out of sheets painted with
gouache
Gouache (; ), body color, or opaque watercolor is a water-medium paint consisting of natural pigment, water, a binding agent (usually gum arabic or dextrin), and sometimes additional inert material. Gouache is designed to be opaque. Gouache h ...
, and was created during the last years of Matisse's life.
History
''Le Bateau'' caused a minor stir when the
Museum of Modern Art, New York
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, ...
, which housed it,
hung the work upside-down for 47 days in 1961 until Genevieve Habert, a stockbroker, noticed the mistake and notified a guard. Habert later informed ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', which in turn notified
Monroe Wheeler
Monroe Wheeler (13 February, 1899 – 14 August, 1988) was an American publisher and museum coordinator whose relationship with the novelist and poet Glenway Wescott lasted from 1919 until Wescott's death in 1987.
Biography
Wheeler was born in Ev ...
, the Museum's art director. As a result, the artwork was rehung properly.
See also
*
List of works by Henri Matisse
This is an incomplete list of works by the French modern artist Henri Matisse (31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954). He is admired for his use of color and his fluid, brilliant and original draughtsmanship. He was a Master drawing, draughtsman, ...
References
Paintings by Henri Matisse
1953 paintings
Paintings in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (New York City)
Ships in art
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