Matisse and Diebenkorn at the BMA

January 15, 2017

I finally viewed the Matisse-Diebenkorn exhibit at the Baltimore Museum Of Art this weekend. Truly a thrill. Henri Matisse had a major influence on Richard Diebenkorn's work, beginning when Diebenkorn viewed his work as a young artist in the late 1940s and culminating with Diebenkorn's iconic Ocean Park series in the 1970s. Seeing the work of the two juxtaposed was such an eye-opener and a great pleasure. Diebenkorn's works are mesmerizing -- large, graphic, unique --but even more so when one sees how he was inspired by Matisse's groundbreaking colors and forms. I especially loved the exhibit's display of Matisse catalogs and books that had been collected by Diebenkorn throughout the years.

The 90 plus works in the show are culled from museums and private collections around the country, with many of Matisse's works from the BMA's permanent collection established by Baltimore's Cone sisters, who began collecting his work in 1906. Many of Diebenkorn's works are on loan from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, where the show travels next after it closes at the BMA on January 29. The show is absolutely worth a visit to Baltimore these last two weeks if you are on the East Coast (Amtrak makes it easy!). For those of you on the West Coast this Spring, I highly recommend a visit to SFMOMA when the show runs March 11 through May 29. (Note: there is a strict no photography rule at the exhibit given there are so many works from private collections so the photos below are from other sources but represent my selection of favorites from the show.)