28th May 2025 – The Van Gogh Museum has acquired its first work by Henri Matisse (1869–1954), achieving a long-standing ambition to expand its collection of artists directly inspired by Van Gogh with a Matisse. Olive Grove in Collioure (1905) will be presented in the museum alongside a reed pen drawing by Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890). Matisse was directly influenced by Van Gogh’s expressive colours, as well as by his dynamic drawing style.
Matisse made Olive Grove in Collioure in 1905 during his first summer in the Southern French town, where he painted many significant works. Matisse shared Van Gogh’s fascination with the sun-drenched Mediterranean landscape; he used vivid and unmixed colours to capture the shimmering summer light. Much of the canvas in Olive Grove in Collioure remains unpainted, and Matisse deliberately left drawn lines visible. This interplay of lines directs the viewer to the figure in the middle: Matisse’s wife, who walks towards the painter holding a bright red parasol.
Matisse added a jumble of colourful individual brushstrokes to the drawn lines, creating a dynamic scene with a sense of immediacy. His approach is reminiscent of how Van Gogh constructed his reed pen drawings on paper: with short strokes in various directions. Matisse owned three reed pen drawings by Van Gogh, which highlights the depth of his admiration for the artist’s work. Olive Grove in Collioure is a powerful early example of Matisse’s expressive use of colour and his new way of painting, which later became known as Fauvism.
Lisa Smit, Curator of Paintings at the Van Gogh Museum, on the work: ‘The painting is unadorned, yet the colours are so dazzling that it’s like an explosion of confetti. A Fauvist painting by Matisse is vital to effectively show the distinct influence of Van Gogh on the generation of artists that came after him. This acquisition allows the museum to fill a significant gap in its collection.’
