Published 09/10/2009
Bridgeman not only represents thousands of museums and artists directly, but we also aim to develop direct relationships with estates and artists whose works we represent through various sources. Through these relationships, Bridgeman is able to improve caption, title and copyright data and ensure that we have the highest quality transparencies and digital files available for reproduction. The benefits of this system are numerous, including the elimination of fakes, the communication of copyright information and ensuring that the image files are the most accurate presentation of the work as approved by the estate. |
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Henri Matisse and the Chapel of the Rosary at Vence
In 1999, we started working closely with George Matisse and through this relationship Bridgeman was given permission to photograph the Matisse Chapel or Chapelle du Rosaire in the French town of Vence. The Dominican chapel, begun by Matisse when he was 77 and completed in 1951 was regarded by the artist himself as his ‘masterpiece.’
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In 1941, When Matisse was recovering from surgery in Nice, he hired a young nurse, Monique Bourgeois. At his request, Bourgeois posed for Matisse and several drawings and paintings exist (left). In 1943, Bourgeois entered the Dominican convent in Vence and became Sister Jacques-Marie. She visited Matisse to tell him of plans to build a chapel and asked if he would help with the design. Matisse agreed to take on the challenge, despite having never done anything like it. Work commenced in 1947 and Matisse was involved in every aspect of the building, from the architecture to the stained glass windows (below), interior furnishings to the priests’ vestments. Sister Marie-Jacques, who died in 2004 at the age of 84, wrote of her friendship and collaboration with Matisse in the book, Henri Matisse: La Chapelle de Vence. All images copyright Succession H. Matisse / DACS. |
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Following the success of working with George Matisse, we have since worked with Dali, Picasso, Francis Bacon, Mondrian, Hundertwasser, Ellsworth Kelly, Henry Moore and Emil Nolde, to name just a few.
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