June 23, 2011. (Romereports.com) It has taken roughly 30 years for this exhibit to open, but now the grand opening is finally here. This Vatican room holds a collection of works from the French artist Henri Matisse. It's based on the sketches he drew to adorn the Rosary Chapel in St. Paul de Vence in France.


Micol Forti
Director of Vatican Museums' Contemporary Art Department
“It's extremely important for our public to see  this collection, this genre that's completely dedicated to the making of the Chapel of Vence.”

This style is defined by so called “gouache cutouts,” where the artist used special paper in his designs. For example, these sketches were  used to make the yellow and blue stained glass windows in that chapel. They're precisely lit to highlight their design. There is also the “Virgin and Child,” piece where Mary is offering her Son to the entire world, instead of holding Him in her arms.  

The works were donated to the Vatican in 1980. But for years, the sketches weren't seen by the public.

Micol Forti
Director of Vatican Museums' Contemporary Art Department
“It's an amazing donation, given to us by the artist's son, Pierre Matisse. For several years we've had them here at the Vatican's storage.”

Part of the challenge was funding and also  having a room with exactly the right temperature. The paper used in Matisse's art is extremely sensitive to the heat and the cold, any one of which could destroy the sketches.

Micol Forti
Director of Vatican Museums' Contemporary Art Department
“The temperature varies from 22 degrees to 24 degrees. The most important factor is the humidity. Because of the material, it can't go over 54 degrees of humidity.”

Also in the Sala Matisse, is a stone sculpture of the Madonna, built by Lucio Fontana. It remained there because it's simply too heavy to move. But in a way, it's a perfect fit, for a display that's soft like paper, but just as strong as a rock.

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