Henri Matisse (1869-1954) was, along with Picasso, his friend and rival, one of the pioneers of modern art in Paris at the start of the 20th century. His art stirred up such strong feelings among art lovers that when he showed his painting “Woman with a Hat” in 1905, some visitors to the exhibition actually tried to scratch it with their fingernails.
So who was this man, who caused such an uproar that it echoed through the art world for years? He was born in the small town of Cateau-Cambrésis, the same town where Alexandre Dumas was born. His parents wanted him to study law and become a lawyer, but a bout of appendicitis at age 21 completely changed the course of his career. While lying in bed recovering, he got a box of paints as a gift from his mother, and since he had plenty of free time on his hands, he started to paint. It was love at first brushstroke, and it changed his life completely. In his own words: “The moment I held the box of colors in my hands for the first time, I knew this would be my life. I threw myself into it like an animal pouncing on prey it desperately wants.” As a result, he arrived in Paris in 1891 and, like quite a few artists, lived in poverty in a small, shabby apartment. At first, like every painting student, Matisse spent his time copying masterworks, but he quickly grew bored and started making bold experiments with the colors he had. This is how his distinctive style was born, later to be called Fauvist (from the French word “fauve,” meaning wild beast).
The first people to notice his genius were Gertrude and Leo Stein, an American brother and sister of Jewish descent who arrived in Paris at the start of the 20th century and turned their home into a literary and artistic salon (you can find the apartment where they lived on the Hemingway walking tour of Paris, since Hemingway was a close friend of Gertrude Stein). They bought the painting “Woman with a Hat,” which, as mentioned, caused quite a scandal, and introduced Matisse to Gertrude’s sister-in-law, Sarah Stein, who would become one of his most enthusiastic patrons. One evening at Gertrude Stein’s salon, Matisse met Picasso, and so began a love/hate relationship that lasted for years. Their painting styles were completely different, which made them rivals, but both were revolutionaries at heart, and in the end they held each other’s work in high regard. Picasso later said of it: “No one has ever looked at Matisse’s paintings more carefully than I have, and no one has looked at my paintings more carefully than he has.”
Matisse found his inspiration in the bright colors and sunshine of southern France, and he returned there many times. But Paris is where his style developed, both through trial and error and through the fruitful encounters he had with art lovers and other painters. There’s no doubt that without Paris, Henri Matisse could never have achieved the recognition and influence he did, and even though he left the city for good in 1917, a walking tour through the City of Light is a wonderful way to get to know him more deeply.
Tour map
Instead of a map: below the heading of each stop you’ll find its address, and every address is a link. Click it, and the location opens right away in Google Maps.
Henri Matisse’s first apartment
Let’s start the tour by leaving the Gaîté metro station and walking north toward avenue du Maine. From there, turn right onto rue du Maine, and at number 12 you’ll find the small apartment where Matisse lived in the days when he was a poor, young painter. At the time, this part of Montparnasse was so far from the city center that the building itself stood in the middle of a field, with cows grazing in the meadow nearby (try to picture that).
The cafés of Montparnasse
boulevard du Montparnasse, at the Vavin intersection
After you’ve seen Matisse’s home, backtrack a little and head toward rue Delambre. Cross the street, and on the way take a look at the hotel of the same name where Benny Amdursky used to stay. Cross the street until you reach Boulevard du Montparnasse. Matisse wasn’t an especially social type, but you could still find him at one of the cafés in the area, like Le Dôme, chatting with Picasso.
At the Steins’ place
27 rue de Fleurus, and 58 rue Madame
Continue north on Boulevard Raspail and turn right onto rue de Fleurus. At number 27, Gertrude Stein lived, and it was in her literary salon that Matisse met Picasso, among others. Continue left onto rue Madame, where Gertrude’s sister-in-law Sarah Stein lived at number 58. She became Matisse’s main patron after Gertrude Stein decided to throw her lot in with “the Picasso camp.” At one point, 12 of Matisse’s paintings hung in this apartment, most of which she later had to sell.
The art school where Matisse studied, and another famous café
31 rue du Dragon, and 13 rue de l’Ancienne-Comédie
Continue to rue Sabot, then turn left onto rue du Four, named after the large bread oven that once stood there and served local residents at a time when not every apartment had its own oven. From there, continue to rue du Dragon, where at number 31 Matisse studied painting at the Académie Julian. From there, head north and turn onto Boulevard Saint-Germain. Turn left onto rue de l’Ancienne-Comédie and step into Café Procope (le Procope), located at number 13. This was one of Matisse’s favorite cafés when he was a young art student, and he loved to sit there with his friends.
Henri Matisse’s studio
From here, head right onto rue Saint-André-des-Arts, turn left onto boulevard Saint-Michel, and then right toward the bank of the Seine. At 19, quai Saint-Michel, Matisse lived twice in his life, in two different apartments. This is also where he had his first private studio, a major milestone in his life as an artist, and from here he painted the view of the Seine that stretched out below his window.
The Centre Pompidou
Cross the “little bridge” (Le Petit Pont), walk along rue Saint-Martin until you reach the Centre Pompidou, where you’ll find a truly impressive collection of his works. Fans of modern art will no doubt be glad to see pieces like “Polynesia, the Sea” there, while everyone else can simply climb up to the roof and enjoy a magical view over Paris. And I’m sure you’ll all agree with me that there’s no better way to end this tour.
Did you enjoy this walking tour?
Want to follow in the footsteps of other famous figures in Paris? Head over to the Paris walking tours page, where you’ll find a long list of other wonderful itineraries that let you discover the secrets of the City of Light at your own pace, and for free.
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