More than 50 prints and drawings by the French artist, Henri Matisse, are currently on exhibit at The Greenberg Gallery (230 S. Bemiston, 314-361-7600). The collection, rendered mostly in black and white, shines a spotlight on some of Matisse’s lesser-known works while emphasizing his signature mastery of simplistic lines.
Gallery owner Ronnie Greenberg began buying the prints and drawings about six months ago with an eye toward making them more accessible to a wider range of collectors.
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Greenberg says Matisse and Pablo Picasso are the two early twentieth century artists who stand out as the most influential and enduring. But he contends that Matisse’s work is more accessible in terms of price and adaptability.
“I think Matisse is someone who fits in every kind of collection possible, and I don’t find the same is exactly true with Picasso,” he says.
The pieces start at $15,000, including framing, and span a significant stretch of the artist’s working life. The collection has never been displayed together.
“To get a major artist like Matisse for that kind of money… I thought that was something exceptional,” says Greenberg.
“Henri Matisse: Prints and Drawings” is on exhibit now through June 1 at The Greenberg Gallery.
