Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Rooms 343-350: 20th Century
Arguably, the collection culminates in these rooms, where you can see as many as 37
paintings by Matisse and almost as many by Picasso. Henri Matisse was initially clas-
sified as a Fauvist: indeed you can see work by his contemporaries in Room 350. But
he continued to paint in his own particular style, even as Fauvism declined in the
early 20th century. Around this time, Matisse met Pablo Picasso and the two became
lifelong friends. Picasso is best known as the founder and master of cubism; but
again, his work spanned many styles.
Rooms 343-345
A turning point for Matisse - and perhaps his most famous work -
is
The Dance
(1910). The intense colours and the dancing nudes convey intense feel-
ings of freedom. This panel - along with the accompanying
The Music
- was painted
specifically for Russian businessman Sergei Shchukin. While these panels are cer-
tainly commanding, don't miss
The Red Room
and
Portrait of the Artist's Wife.
Rooms 348-349
Picasso's blue period is characterised by sombre paintings in
shades of blue. When he was only 22, he painted
The Absinthe Drinker,
a haunting
portrait of loneliness and isolation. The sensuous
Dance with Veils
(1907) and
Woman
with a Fan
(1908) are excellent representations of his cubist work, as are the ceramics
on display here.
Rooms 351-400: Oriental & Middle Eastern Culture & Art
These 50 rooms display ancient art from the Far East, including China and Tibet, In-
donesia, Mongolia and India. Also on display are art and artefacts from Syria, Iran,
Iraq, Egypt and Turkey.
