Le Bateau

Le Bateau
Artist Henri Matisse
Year 1953
Type Paper-cut
Dimensions 13.84 cm × 10.33 cm (5.4 in × 4.1 in)
Location New York, Museum of Modern Art

Le Bateau ("The Boat") is a paper-cut from 1953 by Henri Matisse. The picture is composed from pieces of paper cut out of sheets painted with gouache, 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, which housed it, hung the print 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 who in turn notified Monroe Wheeler, the Museum's art director. As a result, the artwork was rehung properly.[1]

The museum currently houses the piece in the "Final Works of Henri Matisse" exhibition.

References