Vatican Museums

The Matisse Room houses a priceless collection of works related to the planning phase of the Chapelle du Rosaire in Vence, Provence, to which the artist devoted his last and very fruitful years of work, from 1948 to 1952. The first to enter into the Collection was a bronze casting of the Crucifix for the altar, donated in 1973 by the Dominican sisters of Vence; a full-scale sketch for the ceramic work in the presbytery depicting La Vierge à l’Enfant was added in 1980, along with the full-size sketches for the three monumental coloured glass windows of the apse, the choir and the nave, produced using the papier decoupé technique, all of which were donated by the artist’s son, Pierre Matisse.
The display in this room was made possible thanks to the contribution of the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums, and in particular, the generous support of Liana Marabini, who sponsored the entire project.