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Apollon
Apollon
Apollon
Photo: Tobias Fischer/Moderna Museet

Apollon

Artist (Frankrike, 1869 - 1954)
Alternate Title
  • Apollo
Date1953
MediumGouache découpé, collage på vitmålat papper limmat på duk
DimensionsBildmått: 327 × 423 cm
ClassificationPaintings
Credit LinePurchase 1968 with contribution from The Friends of Moderna Museet, The Gerard Bonnier Foundation and Carl-Bertel Nathhorst Scientific Foundation 
Countries
Object NumberNMB 1944
The artwork is not on display
About the artworkLate in life Matisse developed the collage technique, cut outs, that he had used many years earlier when designing stage sets and costumes. In about 1950 he was finishing the decoration of a chapel in Vence outside Nice. During this time he was also making large-scale collages, among them Apollo. The symmetrical composition and the mythological subject matter are unusual for Matisse. In the middle of the picture we see Apollo, surrounded by trees and with the sun rising above him — symbols of life and fertility in cultures all over the world. Apollo was the god of the sun, of music, and of poetry, and the work can be read as a celebration of life. 
Selected exhibition history Moderna Museets samling i ny presentation (1998-2000) Moderna Museet, Stockholm Efterkrigstid till 1970-tal Moderna Museet, Stockholm Givet av MMV (1972) Moderna Museet, Stockholm Scenbyte: verk ur Moderna Museets Samling av Dardel, Matisse, Abdul-Hadi, Hjertén och Léger m.fl. (den 15 oktober 2011 - den 5 februari 2012) Moderna Museet Malmö Henri Matisse (1984-1985) Moderna Museet, Stockholm Ny presentation av samlingen (2000-2002) Moderna Museet, Stockholm Samlingsutställning 2004 - 2011 - I vår tid (2004 - 2011) Moderna Museet, Stockholm Jorden - globala förändringar (1994) Moderna Museet, Stockholm The Moderna Museet exhibition catalogues Jorden : globala förändringar : Moderna Museet, Spårvagnshallarna : 4/6 - 9/10 1994Jorden : globala förändringar : Moderna Museet, Spårvagnshallarna, Stockholm : [4 juni - 9 oktober 1994]Givet av Moderna Museets vänner : [Moderna Museet : 22.1 - 13.2 1972]Henri Matisse : Moderna Museet, Stockholm : 3.11 1984 - 6.1 1985