Henri Matisse, Studio with Goldfish

Henri Matisse, “Studio with Goldfish”

This painting was commissioned by Hugo Kolker in the summer of 1912. It depicts the studio of Henri Matisse in Issy-les-Moulineaux near Paris, France. At this time, Henri Matisse was already a recognized artist, and recognized by his first solo exhibition eight years prior. In 1908, Matisse opened the “Académie Matisse” in Paris, with significant support from the wealthy collector family of Michael and Gertrude Stein. Matisse enjoyed great esteem among German artists, including Oskar and Margarete Moll, which later had a significant impact, leading many of the French painter’s works to find their way into German collections. The painter Hans Purrmann, who met Matisse at the Stein siblings’ home, was also part of his close circle of friends and was entrusted with organizing and managing the “Académie Matisse.”

During 1910, Curt Glaser, Hugo Kolker’s son-in-law, acquired many outstanding works of art for his father-in-law. Thanks to this activity, a year later, an exhibition took place in Breslau where the city’s residents could admire paintings by André Derain, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Edvard Munch, and Vincent van Gogh.

During this time, the relationship between Glaser and Purrmann strengthened, and Purrmann introduced the art dealer to Matisse. With this new acquaintance, Glaser could directly commission specific works from the great artist. Correspondence regarding the canvas “Studio with Goldfish” between the painter and Curt Glaser is preserved in Matisse’s archive. Thanks to this, we know that Kolker agreed for the painting to be presented at the Autumn Salon in Paris in 1912. Presumably, in November 1912, the canvas made its way to Breslau, where it could be admired at the Kolker’s residence on Kaiser-Wilhelmstr.-Str. 28-30.

After the death of Kolkers wife, Matisse’s work came into the possession of Oskar and Margarete Moll. The artist couple settled in Breslau in 1919, when Oskar Moll took over the leadership of the Academy of Fine Arts in the city. Until 1932, when the Molls left Breslau due to the closure of the academy, their apartment at Schlossplatz 4 housed one of the largest collections of Henri Matisse’s canvases in Germany, including the canvas commissioned by Hugo Kolker.

Painting Information:

Oil on canvas, dimensions 118 x 101.5 cm, Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia.

The image of this artwork is not yet available in the public domain and is protected by copyrights. That is why we cannot show it on our website, but you can view it here.

Literature:

Peter Kropmanns, Matisse und die Molls: seine bedeutendsten deutschen Sammler, [in:] Oskar

Moll. Gemälde und Aquarelle, exhibition catalogue, 11/16/1997 – 2/15/1998 Landesmuseum Mainz; National Museum, Wrocław, 2/27/98 – 4/5/98; Von der Heydt-Museum Wuppertal, 5/10/98 – 6/28/98, Köln 1998, pp. 76-92.

Karen K. Butler, Matisse in the Barnes Foundation, vol. 2 (New York: Thames & Hudson, 2015), pp.

162-9.