The Dance II

The Dance II by Henri Matisse is a triptych mural (15 ft high by 45 ft long) in the Barnes Foundation of Philadelphia. It was created in 1932 at the request of Albert C. Barnes after he met Matisse in the United States. Barnes was an art enthusiast and long-time collector of Matisse's works. The mural was to be placed above three arches spanning the windows of the main hall of Barnes' gallery. In Nice, France, Matisse executed the mural on canvas provided by Barnes, as opposed to working on site—an unusual approach for such a work, but the patron had offered him complete artistic freedom.

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