I wouldn't be content with being Matisse's daughter - Paris MAM Matisse et Marguerite

I wouldn’t be content with being Matisse’s daughter — Paris MAM Matisse et Marguerite 

I went to see the exhibition “Matisse et Marguerite Le regard d’un père” in Paris Modern Art Museum twice, the first time I didn’t have a lot of time, I only stayed for about 30 minutes — and that wasn’t enough. The second time I ended up staying about 2 hours.

Time passed so quickly I barely noticed. At first, I thought it had only been maybe half an hour, but when I left, I realized it had been 2 hours. The exhibition was extremely rich. The collection itself was so pleintiful, I was like a kid seeing a house of candies, and the explanation behind it was very clear. I relied a lot on the museum’s application — the Paris Modern Art Museum app — and everything went very smoothly.

At first glance, I feel that the exhibition is not only about Matisse’s work, but also (or even so) about the life of a daughter of an artist, especially in the end of the visit you have a video that shows her whole life in photos and in her father’s paintings! You can see so clearly a person’s life in such a short period of time. The whole family, the daughter the two sons of Matisse all know how to draw, and their lives are all centered around art.

Marguerite, Matisse’s daughter, was her father’s model since a very young age, she was so young when she started posing as a model for her father, she was just a kid. But then again, there’s also the cultural context — 20th-century France.

In the photos and the paintings, she seems so quiet and composed, which feels almost counterintuitive, because children are usually loud, playful, and naughty. But she always seemed calm, never screaming or running around. Maybe her illness from a young age also shaped her nature.

I noticed from several years living in France, that French children are usually very well behaved, maybe this is a cultural thing? Looking at the family photos of Matisse, I also feel that this is a very peaceful and decent family.

Looking at her father’s paintings of her — especially knowing she later joined the Resistance during the Second World War — you really see her strong features: her eyes, her presence, her determination，她的棱角分明. It feels like such a stroke of luck for Matisse to have a daughter like her, because her face carried so much character. She was an ideal subject for painting.

Is this the real Marguerite? Or is it a reflection of a part of Matisse?

The longer I spent with Matisse’s paintings in real life, the more I felt their beauty and admire the small details — the strength of the lines, the richness of the colors, the energy of his strokes. They are masterpieces, truly.

It also feels like a pity that Marguerite didn’t pursue her own independent career apart from her father. She later became a painter, and then worked as her father’s agent and assistant, she dedicated a lot of her life to her father’s work. Having a true master of modern art history as her father can be both a blessing and a curse. She tried to make her own path — she was interested in fashion, for example — but because of economic difficulties, she abandoned it and instead put all her energy into becoming her father’s agent and assistant, promoting her father’s work.

I later learnt that most of Matisse’s family members are deeply entangled with art. His sons also dedicated themselves in preserving their father’s legacy. It does make sense, such a master in modern art history is like a treasure that you can draw from for generations.

If Marguerite were born in another family, would she follow the same life path? Does she have an identity, or does she always have her identity tied with her father’s name? Would I be content if I were born as a child/ a daughter of a master in history?

The audio guide also emphasized how much of a perfectionist she was — professional, demanding, deeply committed to managing her father’s work. There was also a presentation video about her biological mother, her adoptive mother, and her father, giving more context.

Later in life, Marguerite continued to be deeply involved in her father’s legacy. She had been in the Resistance, traveled widely, and appeared in photos with figures like Japanese ministers, Miró in Spain, and Queen Elizabeth in the UK. Until the very end of her life, she was still working for her father’s legacy. She really embodied the role of “the great artist’s daughter.”

Is this show about Matisse? Is this show about Marguerite? It does put Marguerite in the center of attention, we see her face in so many paintings from Matisse, the exhibition showed two self portraits of Marguerite, that’s not enough. We see Marguerite through her father’s eyes. In the end, what we are seeing is Matisse, I am not seeing Marguerite.

Would I be content if I were born the daughter of a great painter like Matisse?

No.

Cubist attempt of Matisse, portrait of his daughter Marguerite