Matisse's portraits: a talk with co-curator Ellen McBreen

“A portrait,” Matisse said, “is a quarrel.” His long, laborious studio sessions were intense sites of contestation between physical resemblance and what Matisse understood to be the more lasting, essential character of the person he was portraying. Such sessions frequently resulted in portraits that did not please their subjects. Art historian and co-curator of 'Matisse in the Studio', Ellen McBreen explores how specific objects from the artist's personal collection – a Yoruba mask, a Buddha bust, and a medieval head – provided alternative models for the visual expression of individuality and identity. roy.ac/matisse