Exhibition Matisse, 1941-1954 at the Grand Palais

During your stay at the Hôtel du Jeu de Paume, located in the heart of Île Saint-Louis in Paris, immerse yourself in the bright and bold world of Henri Matisse thanks to the exceptional exhibition Matisse, 1941–1954, presented at the Grand Palais in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou, from March 24 to July 26, 2026.

The Matisse 1941–1954 exhibition retraces the last thirteen years of the master of Fauvism's life, a period marked by unprecedented artistic freedom. Between 1941 and 1954, the artist, then nearly 80 years old, invented a new visual language: that of cut-out gouaches, in which pure color and simplified form became essential.

More than 300 works—paintings, drawings, illustrated books, textiles, stained glass, and cut-out gouaches—mainly from the collections of the Centre Pompidou and major international loans, reveal the richness and multidisciplinary nature of his work.

The exhibition also shows that painting remained at the heart of Matisse's approach. The sublime Interiors of Vence (1947-1948) testify to an ever-expanding and luminous pictorial space.

A remarkable collection devoted to the Chapel of the Rosary in Vence—often referred to as the Chapel of Vence—reveals preparatory drawings, stained glass windows, and elements of the decorative program of this spiritual masterpiece, considered by the artist to be the culmination of his career.

The monumental panels La Gerbe and Les Acanthes complete this masterful journey, designed as an immersion into the painter's ever-changing studio.

Designed as a veritable artistic “garden,” room after room, the exhibition recreates the vibrant atmosphere of Matisse's studio in his later years. It highlights a free artist, in constant motion, who never stopped exploring new forms until the end of his life.

From the Hôtel du Jeu de Paume, take line 7 at Sully-Morland or Pont Marie towards La Courneuve-8 Mai 1945. Change at Chaussée d'Antin-La Fayette and take line 9 towards Mairie de Montreuil. Get off at Franklin D. Roosevelt (about a 10-minute walk from the Grand Palais).