Matisse’s passion for birds reportedly began during the summer of 1936 in Paris. While walking along the banks of the Seine, he’d buy doves from the merchants selling caged birds, often bringing five or six home with him from these walks. By the end of World War II, Matisse was almost eighty, essentially bed-ridden, and living in Vence, a town close to Nice, alone. In that bedroom and studio, he surrounded himself with birds and plants. Henri Cartier-Bresson visited him in southern France in 1944 and took photos, including ones that you see here.
Matisse’s doves made their way into his work, including his famed cut-outs, which he devoted himself to almost exclusively in the late 1940s.
Upon his death, Matisse gifted these birds to Picasso. Picasso created a series of works inspired by the doves, which turned into universal symbols of peace. Around the same time, he and Françoise Gilot had a child. They named her Paloma.
This video brings to life this last chapter in Matisse’s life when he was rendered immobile but surrounded himself with his doves, as well as his plants, paintings and cutouts. Though he was an atheist, Matisse also managed to design a chapel in Vence during this period. The video is quick, and worth the watch.
Thank you for reading the first edition of Art Dogs. I’m thrilled to have you here!
I’d love to hear from you. Tell me about yourself—and your animals—in the comments! Tell me about your favorite artists and their pets! Tell me if I should change how these posts are formatted and what’s included! Hearing from you and connecting a bit will make Art Dogs a richer experience—for me, certainly, but hopefully for us all.
How interesting that he gifted them to Picasso!
Hi Bailey! This made me think of an experiment a doctor did at a nursing home once. He brought in a cage full of birds and let them loose in the hallways. The chaos and break from routine actually improved the health of the residents there! But the administration didn’t like his little chaos experiment and he wasn’t allowed to do it again. I will have to look up where I read this because it’s fascinating and maybe these doves kept Matisse going!