About this Event
In March 2026, several major exhibitions – at the Grand Palais in Paris and at the Baltimore Museum of Art – renew attention to the work of Henri Matisse. These exhibitions provide an opportunity to reconsider current Matisse scholarship in the United States and to explore the artist’s complex relationship with the American continent.
In early 1930, Matisse crossed the Atlantic and arrived in New York – the first step in a transformative artistic journey that would lead him to the West Coast, to Tahiti, and then to the West Indies. Who were the interlocutors (curators, collectors, models), the stopovers, and the landscapes that shaped his voyage? To what extent did these American motifs influence his artistic practice both during his travels and upon his return to France? This discussion aims to move beyond the anecdotal dimension of the journey to examine the symbolic and aesthetic significance of Matisse’s transatlantic experience, with particular attention to the Martinican episode, often overlooked in art-historical narratives. Exploring the encounter between Matisse’s Western gaze and a world already marked by circulation, hybridity, and resistance allows us to re-situate his works within an expanded geography of modernity and to reassess the importance of the Interamerican moment in his creative trajectory.
Presentations by:
Matthew Affron on Matisse in Philadelphia
Ellen McBreen on The "Instinctive Geometry" of Tapa Textiles TBC
Denise Murrell on Matisse and Martinique: The Making of an Exhibition
Moderated by Victor Sainsot
Event Details & Important Information
This event is free and open to the public, but please note that registration does not guarantee a seat. We intentionally overbook our events, and seating is first come, first served. We recommend arriving early.
Important:
Columbia’s campus is currently open only to Columbia-affiliated guests (with a valid CUID).
If you do not have a Columbia ID, you will need a QR code to enter campus.
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- You must register on Eventbrite at least 48 hours in advance
- We will submit your name and email to Public Safety
- You will receive an email from with your unique QR code
Please check your spam/junk folder if you don’t see the email, and bring a valid photo ID with you to present at campus entry points.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Maison Française, 515 West 116th Street, New York, United States
USD 0.00
