Sophie Matisse
| Sophie Matisse | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Sophie Alexina Victoire Matisse February 13, 1965 Boston, Massachusetts |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Massachusetts College of Art, Boston; École des Beaux-Arts, Paris |
| Known for | Contemporary art, painting |
| Notable work | Monna Lisa (Be Back in Five Minutes) |
| Website | sophiematisse |
Sophie Matisse (born February 13, 1965) is an American contemporary artist. Matisse initially gained notoriety for her series of "Missing Person" paintings, in which she appropriated and embellished upon — or subtracted from — recognizable works from art history. Media coverage is often quick to note Sophie Matisse's family background, an art pedigree originating with her great-grandfather, the famous 20th century painter Henri Matisse. Britain's Sunday Telegraph newspaper in 2003 referred to Sophie as "art royalty," a term occasionally paraphrased when discussing Sophie and her artwork.
Sophie Matisse was born in Boston on February 13, 1965, and was raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, having what's been described as a "hippie childhood." Her father is the sculptor Paul Matisse, whose grandfather was Henri Matisse. Sophie makes no secret of "serious" dyslexia in her youth, which she remedied through creative pursuits.
Sophie Matisse began studies at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, in 1985, but dropped out after her first year. In 1990 she relocated to Paris and attended École des Beaux-Arts, the same institution where great-grandfather Henri Matisse had studied. During her time there, she also bought supplies at the same art-supply store where Henri had shopped.
Sophie lived with her grandmother Alexina in France for a time, who, after divorcing Pierre Matisse, had also married the French painter Marcel Duchamp (Duchamp died in 1968). Studies at École des Beaux-Arts were not easy for Sophie; not only facing imposed expectations of being an art student in France named "Matisse," but also as being an American lacking proficiency in reading and writing French. After three years facing such struggles at the school, Sophie was asked to leave. She did, however, meet the French artist Alain Jacquet while at École des Beaux-Arts, whom she would go on to marry in 1992.
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Wikipedia