Matisse at War: Art and Resistance in Nazi-Occupied France

To mark the publication of Matisse at War, we are honored to welcome acclaimed historian and author Christopher C. Gorham for an evening that brings together art, history, and the little-known story of Henri Matisse’s wartime courage.

In conversation with the audience, Gorham will explore a gripping chapter of cultural history: Matisse’s decision to remain in France during the Nazi Occupation and the extraordinary acts of resistance undertaken by the artist and his family. Drawing on intimate letters, newly surfaced archival material, and the dramatic events described in his book, Gorham reveals a Matisse we rarely see—gravely ill, isolated in Nice, yet fiercely committed to creating groundbreaking work even as the world around him fractured.

Matisse at War illuminates how the artist’s luminous cut-outs, the iconic plates of Jazz, and late masterpieces such as The Fall of Icarus emerged from years marked by surveillance, censorship, family peril, and the theft of his works by the Nazis. Gorham also uncovers the extraordinary resistance efforts of the Matisse family: Jean’s sabotage with the Allies, Pierre’s work helping Jewish artists escape Europe, and Marguerite’s heroic—and nearly fatal—mission as a courier for the French Resistance.

Event in English. Registration required. This author talk will be followed by a Q&A with the author, a book signing and a reception with light refreshments.

Books will be available for purchase during the book signing and reception following the talk.