Matisse/Diebenkorn

Matisse/Diebenkorn is the first major exhibition to show the profound influence of French modern artist Henri Matisse on the work of American artist Richard Diebenkorn. 

Breathtaking juxtapositions of more than 90 paintings and drawings from museums and private collections throughout the U.S. and Europe reveal the enduring power of Diebenkorn’s firsthand experiences of the French artist’s work and present a stunning new view of two artists who never met. The exhibition will travel to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art following its presentation in Baltimore. The BMA is the only East Coast venue for this highly anticipated exhibition.

This ticketed exhibition will be accompanied by an audio tour that explores the evolution of Diebenkorn’s art and highlights visual comparisons between his work with Matisse’s. Exhibition tickets will be available beginning September 1. 

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website

Whether you go or not, the exhibition catalog, Matisse/Diebenkorn, brings together the work of Henri Matisse and Richard Diebenkorn as never before, illuminating unexpected resonances that connect the two artists across time and space. Featuring stunning pairings of more than 80 paintings and drawings, this book charts the evolution of Matisse’s impact on Diebenkorn over the course of Diebenkorn’s career. Though they never met, Matisse was an enduring source of inspiration for the Californian artist, and their works share surprising similarities in subject, composition, palette, and technique. Includes an introduction by John Elderfield, who knew Diebenkorn personally and has curated exhibitions of both artists’ work; an essay by Jodi Roberts on parallels between the artists’ drawings; and a bibliography documenting Diebenkorn’s collection of books about the French artist.