Matisse, "The Moroccans": seeing For Yourself

Authors

  • Barbara Ellmann MoMA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5965/24471267722021365

Keywords:

Museus, Abstração, Artista do Ensino, Matisse

Abstract

A New York painter and freelance teaching artist describes an experience visiting Matisse’s painting “The Moroccans” at the Museum of Modern Art with a group of young people and their families. She describes her aesthetic education methods which include encouraging museum visitors to engage deeply with works of art by noticing, asking questions, and participating in group discussion. When the visitors’ conclusions about “The Moroccans” turn out to be at odds with the museum’s wall text, they question what they should believe—their own eyes or the museum’s official interpretation of this abstract work. Connecting this experience to John Dewey’s writing about the purpose of art and the power of the perceiver to activate an art object, the author reflects on the role of museums and the sometimes conflicting priorities of public engagement and scholarly authority.

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References

Cowart et al. Matisse in Morocco: The Paintings and Drawings, 1912-1913. First Edition. Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art, 1990.

Higgins. Matisse’s Search For Light Illuminated by MoMA Show. The Morning Call. 22 July, 1990. Available at: https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1990-07-22-2761061-story.html. Accessed in 18 July 2021.

Richard. ‘Matisse in Morocco’ Dreaming in Color. The Washington Post. 18 March, 1990. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1990/03/18/matisse-in-morocco-dreaming-in-color/4a58a6b5-8eff-4e61-a80c-3161c629389a/. Accessed in 18 July, 2021.

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Published

2021-10-31

How to Cite

ELLMANN, Barbara. Matisse, "The Moroccans": seeing For Yourself. Revista Apotheke, Florianópolis, v. 7, n. 2, 2021. DOI: 10.5965/24471267722021365. Disponível em: https://revistas.udesc.br/index.php/apotheke/article/view/20708. Acesso em: 9 oct. 2025.

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 2 (2021): Dewey: Education, Visual Art and Experience

Section

Artigos Seção aberta

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