Matisse Picasso | Paul Gauguin

December 9, 2004 | 6.30 pm
Little Theatre, National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai

Paul Gauguin: The Savage Dream (Col. 45 mins)
Director: Michael Gill

One of the exceptional artists in western art history, Paul Gauguin lived life by extremes. This film explores the artist’s obsessive search for a ‘savage’ alternative to his own culture, which drove him to the remote islands of Tahiti, and became a critical aspect of Gauguin’s art and life. Shot on location in Tahiti and the Marquesas, the film focuses on Gauguin’s final years and his monumental artistic achievement during that period. The story, to a great extent, is told in Gauguin’s own words, revealing his unique philosophy of art, life, and civilization.

Matisse Picasso (Col. 52 mins.)
Director: Philippe Kohly

The history of modern art begins with the relationship between Matisse and Picasso. From 1905 onwards, collectors such as the Steins and Andre Level, who were first to buy modern paintings, placed these two artists side by side in their collections. The dynamic rivalry and mutual admiration between Matisse and Picasso formed the most fascinating artistic relationship of the twentieth century.

This double portrait of the two giants of modern art provides a close-up of their personalities through first-hand accounts of the people nearest to them (Francoise Gilot, Maya and Claude Picasso, Jacqueline Matisse, and others) adding new dimension to the understanding of their work. It also includes rarely seen archival footage.