"Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs" At MoMA

In 1941, Henri Matisse underwent a difficult surgery for abdominal cancer, following which he spent most of his time in a wheelchair or in bed, unable to paint as he had before. Matisse found a breakthrough method to channel his immense creativity: paint-washing sheets of paper, cutting shapes with scissors and pinning–eventually gluing–the cut-outs together to form a composition. "Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs" at the Museum of Modern Art makes clear that the French master triumphed artistically in the final years of his life until his death at 84 in 1954. Matisse said that he was "painting with scissors" and that "Only what I created after the illness constitutes my real self: free, liberated." Indeed, he carrie forward his vibrant colors and appealing lines and shapes into a bold new artistic medium. "Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs" is a must-see aesthetic delight.

"Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs" continues through February 8, 2015, at the Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53rd Street, New York, NY, (212) 708-9400, www.moma.org.

"Matisse: In Search Of True Painting" At Metropolitan Museum

How did Henri Matisse (1869-1954) achieve such vibrancy of light and color in his paintings? Apparently by his lifelong habit of reworking his canvases, as is made evident by "Matisse: In Search of True Painting" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He created series and pairs of paintings on the same subjects that nevertheless resulted in startling differences; compare the hue and brushstrokes of "Le Luxe I" (1907, above left) and "Le Luxe II (1907-1908, right). The exhibition also includes, among others, varied renderings of still lifes, domestic interiors, a young sailor, Notre Dame and a dark-haired model, Laurette. These experiments demonstrate that Matisse remained true to his mission, in his words, to "push further and deeper into true painting."

“Matisse: In Search of True Painting” runs through March 17, 2013, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave. at 82nd St., NYC; (212) 535-7710, metmuseum.org.