The 3-Year Art Revolution
Last Friday Get Locally was honored to visit the newly opened Matisse exhibition at the Albertina. Vienna can hardly be imagined without the Albertina museum. Still, the museum as it stands today is only open for the past 10 years. Before that it fell into a deep sleep. From 2003 until today 7 million people visited its exhibitions making it one of the most prominent museums in Vienna. The Albertina is always good for great temporary exhibitions. This Matisse exhibition is no exception.
It shows only three years in the life of Matisse and his group (André Derain, Maurice de Vlamnick and Henri Manguin) – from 1905 to 1907/1908. It is the Fauvism period, the first and shortest Avantgarde period, but it should become one of the most important if not the most important period as it revolutionized the conception of art. It was a revolution. Away from the imitation of nature moving towards intensely brilliant colors.
But it is not only these colors that make this exhibition truly wonderful. It is really perfectly curated and though it covers only such a short time in the history of art the visitor is captured not only by its wonderful paintings but also by information that is provided. It was truly interesting to read through all the descriptions. As for us we can really recommend this exhibition – well, like pretty everything of the Albertina museum – to everyone who enjoys art.
Photos: (1) Henri Matisse Still Life with Red Carpet, 1906 Musée de Peinture et Sculpture, Grenoble © Succesion H. Matisse/VBK, Vienna 2013; (2) André Derain Henri Matisse, 1905 Tate, London © VBK, Vienna 2013; (3) Henri Manguin The Prints, 1905 Madrid, Museum Thyssen-Bornemisza © VBK, Vienna 2013
