Matisse Museum (Le Cateau)

Matisse Museum

Musée Départemental Henri Matisse
Location within France
Established	1952
Location	Palais Fénelon, 59360 Le Cateau, France
Coordinates	50°6′23″N 3°32′27″E / 50.10639°N 3.54083°E / 50.10639; 3.54083
Type	Art museum
Collection size	300
Curator	Carrie Pilto
Website	Musée Matisse du Cateau-Cambrésis

The Matisse Museum (Musée Départemental Henri Matisse) is a museum in Le Cateau-Cambrésis, France that primarily displays paintings by Henri Matisse. The museum was established by Matisse himself on 8 November 1952; he also defined the way his works should be arranged. At that time the museum was located in the wedding room of the Le Cateau City Hall.^[1]

In 1956, after the death of Matisse, the collection of the museum was enlarged by the gift of 65 paintings by Auguste Herbin.

The Museum was moved to the « Fénelon Palace » (Palais Fénelon), also in Le Cateau, in 1982, and its ownership was transferred by the city to the Nord department in 1992; after three years of construction and refurbishment, it reopened on 8 November 2002.

The Museum now has the third largest collection of Matisse works in France.

With seventeen exhibition rooms, and over a surface of about 4,600 square metres (50,000 sq ft), the Museum displays more than 170 Matisse works, as well as 65 paintings by Auguste Herbin, given by the artist, paintings by Geneviève Claisse, relative and student of Herbin, elements of the Tériade collection of artists' books and 30 photographs from the Henri Cartier-Bresson collection.

The Museum also regularly hosts temporary exhibits.