In 1905, Henri Matisse sent shockwaves through the art world with Femme au chapeau (Woman with a Hat), a portrait of his wife, Amélie, painted in bold color and loose brushstrokes that defied convention. This exhibition traces the painting’s controversial history and explores its lasting impact on modern art.
Step into the gallery in Paris where it all began.
Explore a restaging of Femme au chapeau’s public debut in 1905, bringing together the greatest number of works from that historic exhibition in over a century. See why paintings by Matisse, André Derain, Albert Marquet, Maurice de Vlaminck, and others sparked both heated debates and admiration during their time.
Discover Femme au chapeau’s enduring legacy.
From Matisse’s peers to artists working today, such as Hilary Harkness and Rachel Harrison, see how his painting has shaped perceptions about color, content, form, and expression. The exhibition also uncovers its impact on Bay Area Figurative artists like Joan Brown, Richard Diebenkorn, and David Park.
Read more about this exhibition in From Scandal to Icon or explore Matisse: The Wild Palette in collaboration with Google Arts & Culture.
Matisse’s Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal is organized by Janet Bishop, Thomas Weisel Family Chief Curator and Maria Castro, former Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Associate Curator of Painting and Sculpture with Alison Guh, Assistant Curator of Painting and Sculpture.
Lead support for Matisse’s Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal is provided by Mimi and Peter Haas Fund and Diana Nelson and John Atwater.
Presenting support is provided by Bank of America and Dana and Bob Emery.
Major support is provided by Neal Benezra Exhibition Fund, Carolyn and Preston Butcher SFMOMA Exhibition Fund, and Davidow Family Fund for Exhibitions of Modern Art.
Significant support is provided by Deloitte and Yes SF, Mary Jane Elmore, Christine and Pierre Lamond, The Elaine McKeon Endowed Exhibition Fund, Jessica Moment and Sebastian Bredberg, Deborah and Kenneth Novack, The Bernard and Barbro Osher Exhibition Fund, Stephanie and Mark Robinson, and Anonymous.
Meaningful support is provided by Alka and Ravin Agrawal, Dolly and George Chammas, Jessica and Matt Farron, Laurie and Jim Ghielmetti, Robert Lehman Foundation, Stuart G. Moldaw Public Program and Exhibition Fund, Keiko Sakamoto and Bill Witte, Nancy and Alan Schatzberg, Thomas W. Weisel and Janet Barnes, Bobbie and Mike Wilsey, Pat and Bill Wilson Exhibitions Fund, and Anonymous.
Additional support is provided by The Glen and Sakie Fukushima Fund and John and Carry Thacher.
Support for the catalogue is provided by Furthermore: a program of the J. M. Kaplan Fund.
Support for Matisse: The Wild Palette a digital interactive and film utilizing Google AI to bring to life archival images of the Grand Palais from Google Arts & Culture.
Header image: Henri Matisse, Paysage: Les genêts (Landscape: Broom), 1906 (detail); collection SFMOMA, bequest of Elise S. Haas, 1991; © Succession H. Matisse / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; photo: Katherine Du Tiel