What major art exhibition featuring works by Henri Matisse opened at the Grand Palais in Paris in March 2026?

The major art exhibition opening at the Grand Palais in Paris in March 2026 is indeed titled "Matisse, 1941–1954." This exhibition focuses on the extraordinary final creative burst of Henri Matisse's life, spanning the last thirteen years of his career. During this period, despite declining health, Matisse embarked on a profound reinvention of his artistic practice, leading to some of his most iconic and innovative works.

This era is particularly significant for Matisse's pioneering use of the "cut-out" technique, where he essentially "drew with scissors" to create vibrant, large-scale compositions from gouache-painted papers. These cut-outs, including masterpieces like the *Blue Nudes* and *The Sorrows of the King (La Tristesse du roi)*, became an independent and monumental artistic language, allowing him to explore color and form with unprecedented freedom and simplicity. The exhibition brings together over 230 works, showcasing the multidisciplinary nature of his output, which extended beyond cut-outs to include paintings, drawings, illustrated books such as *Jazz*, textiles, and even stained glass for the Chapelle de Vence.

The exhibition, co-produced by the Centre Pompidou and the GrandPalaisRmn, offers an unparalleled look at this period, often referred to as his "second flight." It aims to immerse visitors in the vibrant atmosphere of Matisse's studio, demonstrating how he continued to push artistic boundaries and achieve a profound synthesis of space, color, and form. This show also notably marks the long-awaited reopening of the Grand Palais after several years of renovation, making it a double celebration for art enthusiasts in Paris.