Matisse Art Gallery review: our verdict
What you see on the walls is just a fraction of the collection: at the Matisse Art Gallery, simply mentioning a painter and they'll pull canvases from storage. The gallery, named in homage to Henri Matisse, draws from a collection assembled over more than forty years, where major names of Moroccan painting, emerging artists, and a few foreign signatures rub shoulders. Calligraphy holds a special place here.
The space is small and works are viewed from a metre away, without glass cases or ropes. You'll mostly meet collectors looking for a specific piece, but curious visitors are welcome. A stop for painting enthusiasts and potential buyers; not for a family outing with educational trails and children to entertain. The house publishes its own catalogues and monographs; framing is handled by the workshop across the street. Enter via Rue de Yougoslavie, opposite the RTM.
Good tip: follow up with the MACMA, installed in the same passage, for a half-day of art in Guéliz. Pitfall: come between 13 h and 15 h, during the midday closure, or on Sunday; on Monday, the door remains closed until 15 h.
