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Henri Matisse

Blue Villa

between March and June 1918
Oil on academy board (later mounted to cradled panel)
33 × 41 cm (13 × 16.1 in)

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● On view now — Collection Gallery, Room 10, West Wall

Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia · verified July 2026

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FROM THE BARNES FOUNDATION’S CATALOG

During his early Nice period, Matisse renewed his interest in landscapes. With their small formats and naturalistic effects of light and shadow, these works reflect the influence on impressionism on the artist. Matisse likely painted this view of la villa bleue on Mont Boron, where he moved after his living quarters were twice requisitioned for the housing of soldiers during World War I. The artist later recalled that these landscapes, which he typically completed in two or three sittings, helped to occupy him while he was waiting for news from the front, where his son Jean was serving in the French army.

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