Due to the large-scale renovation of the iconic Centre Pompidou , masterpieces from the French national art collection are currently traveling around the world. Starting this weekend, H’ART Museum will be entirely dedicated to Henri Matisse, the pioneer who liberated color from reality and, in his later years, reinvented the art world with scissors and paper.
The result is a large-scale retrospective that clearly shows how Matisse radically transformed modern art, presented in an exhibition that is also surprisingly affordable to visit.
Who is Henri Matisse? The pioneer of Fauvism and color
The French artist Henri Matisse (1869–1954) is considered, along with Pablo Picasso, one of the most important founders of modern art. At the beginning of the twentieth century, he sparked an artistic revolution by combining bright, non-realistic colors on canvas. Critics mockingly called him one of the Fauves (wild beasts), but this radical style actually laid the foundation for an entirely new approach to painting.
After his turbulent early years in Paris , Matisse moved to the south of France. On the French Riviera, he developed a more accessible, harmonious style featuring simplified forms and atmospheric patterns. This artistic evolution earned him international recognition as a master who gave traditional painting a lasting new face.
More Than Just Paintings: The Iconic Paper Cutouts
When physical limitations made painting impossible in his later years, Matisse reinvented the art world from his wheelchair. Using scissors, he cut monumental, colorful compositions directly from painted paper. These famous gouaches découpées marked an artistic breakthrough in which color and form harmoniously merged into his most recognizable masterpieces.
What can you expect at the H’ART Museum?
Thanks to a collaboration with the Centre Pompidou, the H’ART Museum is bringing rare masterpieces to Amsterdam. The absolute highlight of the exhibition is the iconic *La Blouse Roumaine* (1940), a masterpiece that rarely leaves the walls of the Parisian museum. Along with famous works such as his early window scenes (*La Fenêtre Ouverte*), the exhibition offers a unique glimpse into Matisse’s obsession with light, line, and color.
The exhibition brings together these iconic canvases with his later paper collages, clearly revealing the thematic coherence within his body of work. Visitors can see up close how motifs from his early paintings ultimately transformed into the stylized, monumental gouaches découpées for which the French master became world-famous.
Here’s how to visit Chez Matisse with a discount or free admission
For this special exhibition from Paris, H’ART Museum charges a mandatory surcharge of €7 for regular Museum Card holders. Due to expected crowds and limited gallery capacity, every visitor must reserve an online time slot in advance.
Yet the retrospective remains very accessible. Young people up to age 17, Stadspas holders, and ICOM members enjoy free admission. Holders of the VriendenLoterij VIP CARD can also visit the exhibition free of charge and are allowed to bring one guest with them at no cost.
Practical information: Matisse at H’ART Museum
- Location: H’ART Museum, Amstel 51, Amsterdam
- Dates: On view through February 14, 2027
- Hours: Open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Tickets & Surcharge: Regular museum ticket with a €7 surcharge (also applies to Museum Card holders). Free for youth up to age 17, Stadspas holders, ICOM members, and VriendenLoterij VIP Card holders (includes 1 free guest)
- Time Slot: Reserving an online time slot in advance is required via the H’ART Museum website
