| The Back Series | |
|---|---|
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| Artist | Henri Matisse |
| Year | 1909–1930 |
| Type | Plaster / Bronze |
The Back Series is a series of four bas-relief sculptures, by Henri Matisse. They are Matisse's largest and most monumental sculptures. The plaster originals are housed in the Musée Matisse in Le Cateau-Cambrésis, France.
They were modeled between 1909 and 1930. Back (I) appeared in the second PostImpressionist show in London and the Armory Show in New York City.[1]
All four sculptures were unique plaster casts until 1950, when Back (I), (III), and (IV) were cast in bronze. Back (II) was rediscovered in 1955, a year after the artist’s death, and then cast. The series have been cast in a bronze edition of twelve, including one for the artist's family. Nine complete sets are housed in nine major museums around the world:[2]
- Musée National d'Art Moderne (Paris)[3][4][5][6]
- Tate (London)[7][8][9][10]
- Kunsthaus Zürich (Zürich)
- Staatsgalerie Stuttgart (Stuttgart)
- Museum of Modern Art (New York)[11][12][13][14]
- Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (Washington D. C.)[15][16][17][18]
- Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden (Los Angeles)[19][20][21][22]
- Kimbell Art Museum (Fort Worth)
- Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden, Museum of Fine Arts (Houston)[23][24][25][26]