Matisse: Behind the Cut-outs

With: Karl Buchberg (MoMA, New York) and André van Oort (formerly Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam)

As part of the Public Program, in conjunction with the exhibition The Oasis of Matisse (March 29 – August 16, 2015), the Stedelijk Museum proudly presents a review of the most complex conservation projects on Henri Matisse’s work. During the last decade of his life Matisse deployed two simple materials—white paper and gouache—to create works of wide-ranging color and complexity. He used an unorthodox implement—a pair of scissors—to transform the paper and paint into a world of plants, animals, figures, and shapes. Preserving these so-called cut-outs, some of impressive scale, has been a true challenge for conservators all over the world and will be the focus of a discussion by conservators Karl Buchberg (MoMA, New York) and André van Oort (previously with the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam).

THE PARAKEET AND THE MERMAID  

The Parakeet and the Mermaid (1952-1953, collection: Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam) is one of the greatest examples of Matisse's cut-out works. The cut-out is technically related to the collage and Matisse began employing this method in 1940, but the medium dominated his work during his final years. The imagery of this piece consists of leaves, pomegranates, and two singular forms. These two forms represent a parakeet on the left side and a mermaid on the right, from which the title of the work derives. The space surrounding the objects is just as important as the objects themselves. Matisse created this monumental cut-out while recuperating from a major operation which prevented him from working in his studio.
The conservation of The Parakeet and the Mermaid at the Stedelijk Museum was conducted in 1974-1979 and 1996-1998 under the supervision of André van Oort, conservator at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam at the time. During van Oort’s lecture, he will present the project with its original materials, methods, and documentation. 

THE SWIMMING POOL

The Swimming Pool (1952, collection: MoMA, New York) was inspired by Matisse’s trip to a favorite pool in Cannes on an especially scorching summer day. Upon returning to his Nice home, he announced that he wanted to make his own pool. Acquired by MoMA in 1975, The Swimming Pool was taken off public view in 1993 due to deterioration from the acidity of the burlap, light exposure, and atmospheric pollution. Under the supervision of senior conservator Karl Buchberg, original pieces of burlap were examined to make sure the installation was done correctly, and even the original pin holes were used to place the nine panels on the wall, giving them the dimension they lacked when they were glued onto the burlap after leaving Matisse’s home. Importantly, this will also make the piece easier to conserve in the future.

MORE ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

André van Oort was conservator at the Stedelijk Museum until 2006 and worked on the conservation of The Parakeet and the Mermaid. He replaced the paper that formed the background for the cut-outs. Due to detrimental residuals in the background, the paper on which de cut-outs were placed, showed significant discoloration showed significant discoloration which influenced the total experience of the colors and composition, and thus needed to be replaced. Van Oort was educated by his father, head conservator at the Rijksprentenkabinet, but also at the Central Laboratorium for Objects of Art and Science. He specialized in paper and photography and worked at the Rijksprentenkabinet, the National Library in Vienna, the Amsterdam Museum, the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen and Museum Fodor. At the Amsterdam Museum, van Oort was responsible for the conservation of two large-scale map charts by Justus Danckerts. Later at the Stedelijk Museum, van Oort developed the current conservation policy for works on paper, including the protection of the poster collection in the Stedelijk Museum depot.

Karl Buchberg is senior conservator at The Museum of Modern Art and was curator of the exhibition Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs, which coincided with his 28th anniversary at the museum. The Matisse exhibition was the first time that a MoMA conservator was also curator of an exhibition. As part of a three-person paper conservation team, Buchberg shares responsibility for the physical care of the works of art on paper in all of the Museum's collections. He is also the author of the essay “Seurat: Materials and Techniques” in the MoMA catalogue and co-author of Georges Seurat: The Drawings with Jodi Hauptman. Mr. Buchberg has a BA from Columbia College and a MA and certificate in conservation from the Institute of Fine Arts of New York University. Prior to joining the staff at MoMA he was conservator of Rare Books and Special Collections at the Firestone Library of Princeton University, a position he held for six years.