Henri Matisse (1869-1954) was together with Picasso His friend/rival was one of the pioneers of modern art in Paris in the early 20th century. His art aroused strong emotions among art lovers, so much so that when he exhibited his painting “Woman with a Hat” in 1905, some visitors to the exhibition tried to tear it with their nails…
So who was the man who caused such a huge storm that reverberated for years in the art world? He was born in the town of Cateau-Cambrésis, where he was also born. Alexandre DumasHis parents wanted him to study law and become a lawyer, but appendicitis at the age of 21 completely changed his career path. While he was lying in bed and recovering, he received a paint kit as a gift from his mother and, since he had quite a bit of free time, he began to paint. It was his first love, a brushstroke, which completely changed his life or, in his words: “The moment I held the box of paints for the first time, I realized that this would be my life. I pounced on it like an animal pounces on prey it particularly wants.” As a result, he arrived in Paris in 1891 and, like many artists, lived a life of poverty in a small, shabby apartment. At first, like any painting student, Matisse copied masterpieces, but he soon became bored and began to make bold experiments with the paints he had. This is how his unique style was created, which would later be called Fauvist (from the word Fauve, which means wild life).
The first to notice his genius were Gertrude and Leo Stein, an average American Jewish brother and sister, who arrived in Paris in the early 20th century and turned their home into a literary and artistic salon (you can find the apartment they lived in atThe Paris itinerary following Hemingway, who was a good friend of Gertrude Stein). They bought the painting “Woman with a Hat”, which as mentioned caused a serious scandal, and introduced Matisse to Gertrude’s sister-in-law, Sarah Stein, who would become his enthusiastic patron. One evening in Gertrude Stein’s salon, Matisse met Picasso, and thus began a love/hate relationship that lasted for years. Although their painting styles were completely different, which led to rivalry between them, both were revolutionary in nature and ultimately greatly appreciated each other’s work. Picasso later said of this, “No one has ever looked at a Matisse painting more attentively than I have, and no one has ever looked at my paintings more attentively than he has.”
Matisse found his inspiration in the bright colors and sunshine of South of France And he returned to them many times. However, Paris It is the place where his style developed both through trial and error and thanks to fruitful encounters with art lovers and other painters. There is no doubt that without Paris, Henri Matisse could not have achieved the recognition and influence he achieved, and although he left it in 1917 for good, a trip to the City of Lights is an excellent way to get to know him in depth.
Perfectly quiet with windows facing an internal courtyard. A dream location near Eataly and Hotel de Ville.
Accessible ground floor apartment (no need to lug your luggage around). Just 200 meters from Trocadero Square.
Huge and well-designed: bedroom, spacious living room and 2 utility rooms. A winning location in the heart of things.
We have carefully filtered and selected dozens of additional recommended apartments in all the equal districts of Paris.
We have collected for you the most recommended hotels in Paris – from intimate boutiques to absolute luxury.
Trip map
Henri Matisse's first apartment
We will start the tour by exiting the Gaîté metro station and walking north to avenue du Maine. From there, walk right to rue du Maine and there, at number 12, you will discover the small apartment where Matisse lived when he was a poor young painter. At that time, this part of Montparnasse was so far from the center that the building itself stood in the middle of a field and cows grazed in the meadow (try to imagine that).
The cafes of Montparnasse
After you've seen Matisse's house, retrace your steps a little and go to Rue Delambre. Cross the street and on the way take a look at the hotel of the same name where he used to stay. Benny Amdorsky Cross the street until you reach Boulevard du Montparnasse. Although Matisse was not a particularly social person, he could be found in one of the area's cafes, such as Le Dome, chatting with Picasso.
At the Steins
Continue north on Boulevard Raspaille and turn right on Rue de Fleurus. At number 27, Gertrude Stein lived and in her literary salon, Matisse met Picasso, among others. Continue left to rue Madame where Sarah Stein, Gertrude’s sister-in-law, lived at number 58 and who became Matisse’s main patron after Gertrude Stein decided to join the “Picasso camp.” Also, at one time, 12 paintings by Matisse hung in this apartment, most of which she was later forced to sell.
The painting school where Matisse studied and another famous cafe
Continue to Rue Sabot and then turn left to Rue du Four, named after the large baking oven that stood there and served the residents of the area in the days when not every apartment had an oven. From there, continue to Rue du Dragon where at number 31 Matisse studied painting at the Academie Julienne. From there, continue north and turn toBoulevard Saint-GermainTurn left on rue de l'Ancienne Comedie and enterProkop Cafe (le Procope) located at number 13. It was one of Matisse's favorite cafes when he was a young art student and where he liked to sit with his friends.
Henri Matisse's studio
From here continue right on rue Saint André des Arts and turn left on boulevard Saint Michel and from there right to the bank of the Seine. Here at 19, quai Saint-Michel Matisse lived twice in his life in two different apartments. This was also his first private studio, a significant milestone in his life as an artist and from there he painted the view of the Seine from his window.
Pompidou Center
Cross the “Little Bridge” (Le Petit Pont) and walk along Saint Martin Street until you reachPompidou Center (Centre Pompidou) where you can find a very impressive collection of his works. Modern art lovers will surely be happy to see works such as “Polynesia at Sea” while others can simply climb to the roof and enjoy a magical view of Paris. And you will all agree with me that there is no better way to end the trip.
Did you like this itinerary?
Want to follow in the footsteps of other famous people in Paris? You are welcome to visit the page Itineraries in Paris And find you another long list of wonderful hiking trails that will allow you to discover the secrets of the City of Lights at your own pace and for free.
Matisse's last house is in Issy les Moulineaux. It cannot be visited and is in poor condition. Which is a great pity….
Interesting and enriching, thank you.
Valuable advice and interesting explanations. Thanks for sharing.