Most see Henri Matisse as someone who razed classical artistic conventions to the ground with his ferocious commitment to vibrant color and decoration. Yet it took decades for his work to earn wide acclaim in France, and to be considered a pioneering modern artist globally. How did he use public outrage and new places to produce such original work? How did he go from copying European masters to inventing radical new ways of “feeling through” color and form?

Join us as we explore a crucial period that transformed Matisse’s life and modern art writ large. Along the way, we’ll also learn about his personality quirks, including a lifelong battle with insomnia and health problems, and an affection for collecting pretty rugs, butterflies and live birds. Then we’ll explore his crucial relationships with his wife Amelie and his daughter Marguerite, ...