Henri Matisse

Few artists have shaped modern art as boldly as Henri Matisse. Known for his fearless colour and fluid cut-outs, Matisse created joy as a visual language. Yet during the Nazi occupation of France, his art was denounced as “degenerate,” and his daughter - a member of the Resistance - was imprisoned by the Gestapo. This collection brings together his most luminous, expressive works - restored not only for their beauty, but for their defiance. Matisse’s place in Cynefn reflects how even icons are not immune to erasure - and how art can remain unbroken.