Matisse: The Red Studio – MoMA, New York

A review of Matisse: The Red Studio, an interesting small-scale exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).

Back in New York, And Straight To MoMA

After a long weekend in Chicago, I had an opportunity recently to spend a few days in New York. Art and culture were not the primary objectives of my time here, but it wouldn’t be the Salterton Arts Review if I hadn’t squeezed in a few museums and other activities.

First up was MoMA. I’ve been here a handful of times before. Its Midtown location is generally convenient for me when I’m in New York, and they tend to have several exhibitions going at once so there is something interesting to see. On this occasion I was intrigued by a temporary exhibition, Matisse: The Red Studio. This is a deep dive into one painting, not surprisingly named The Red Studio. Painted in 1911, this is a work whose reception at the time of its creation belies its importance in art history. I was interested in how MoMA would delve into one painting in depth – it seemed to me an interesting curatorial task as well as interesting subject matter.

I did have a quick look around the rest of the museum as well: more on this at the end of the post. But let’s now get stuck into the subject at hand – Matisse: The Red Studio.

Matisse: The Red Studio

Matisse in 1911 was in an experimental mood. He had a purpose-built studio in the Parisian suburbs. He had a patron, Sergei Shchukin. Shchukin, a textile magnate, began collecting Matisse’s work in 1906. An Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collector, he started to commission works to decorate his home. Several are still in Russian collections. In 1911 Shchukin commissioned Matisse to paint three paintings of a subject of his choosing. The first, The Pink Studio, was to Shchukin’s liking. After a visit to Moscow, Matisse started on the second one, The Red Studio.

There is a long history of artists depicting their studios in their work. The Red Studio is interesting, however, for what it does and doesn’t depict. This isn’t a painting about the artistic process: easels and palettes lying around. It’s a painting about the products of that creativity. Matisse depicts eleven artworks, created during the thirteen years prior. There are paintings, sculptures and ceramics. And then he makes a bold choice, and paints the entire studio red. Walls, floor, furniture and all. Friends, it took me a while to work this one out so let me help you: his studio wasn’t actually all red. This was a choice, and one that puzzled audiences for decades.

It didn’t go down well with his patron, either. Shchukin politely rejected it (the way he had commissioned it was not a binding commitment), but went on to purchase further paintings from Matisse. The Red Studio was exhibited to public confusion, described as childish among other things. It didn’t find a buyer for many years, and even then it was as decor for a nightclub. It wasn’t really until its acquisition by MoMA in the 1940s that it found a suitable audience in post-war New York.

A Deep Dive Into An Artwork

The structure of Matisse: The Red Studio is quite a simple one. The exhibition consists of two sections. In the first, the surviving artworks Matisse depicts in his studio are reunited. They hang in positions roughly corresponding with their location on the canvas. Information panels tell us about each work in its own right. It’s really fascinating to compare the original work with its painted self, to see how Matisse saw it in a sense.

The second half of the exhibition is the biography of the painting. There is information and documentation on the building of Matisse’s studio, his relationship with Shchukin, the paintings critical and public reception, and its ownership over the years. It is well-researched, with interesting primary sources to support the narrative. The exhibition then finishes with a video about the conservation of the painting. Getting it out of its frame and examining it in depth has revealed a lot about the work. Including its original appearance before the bold overpainting in red. Its a nice way to finish: I love watching conservators at work.

I’ve spoken before about the idea of ‘the object as data carrier’ (theory courtesy Peter van Mensch): all the things that an object or artwork tells you about its context and history outside of its original function. This exhibition is a little like that, but is also ‘the object as jumping off point’. It’s kind of like a physical version of data mapping – exploring all the connections to other objects, to people, to events, to art historical trends. A great exhibition for museum or art geeks, or for those curious to learn more about twentieth century art and artists.

And A Quick Look At The Rest

While at MoMA, it would seem a shame not to have a look around at the rest of the collection. I didn’t do this in depth on this occasion, but did do a quick bit of exploring. Enough to replenish my art batteries, so to speak.

I do like MoMA. I like how the building itself feels very modern. Spread over several floors on W 53rd Street, it’s more of a high-rise format than most museums. A very different visitor experience than the Art Institute of Chicago, for instance. There are some lovely big spaces. The last image above, for instance, is Barbara Kruger’s Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You. You get great views of this huge installation from various floors in the museum.

It’s also predictably busy. It’s a major museum in a major tourist destination. There are some superb works in the museum, and the Impressionist collection is a particular highlight. Take a look at my photos above to get a sense of some of the crowding. Basically my advice is to visit, but try to pick your time as best you can, and be flexible on visiting order to try to beat the crowds.

Matisse: The Red Studio – 4/5
MoMA overall visitor experience: 3.5/5

Matisse: The Red Studio on until 10 September 2022