Morrice and Lyman in the Company of Matisse Takes Visitors on a Journey in Search of Southern Light and Colour

KLEINBURG, ON, Sept. 30, 2014 /CNW/ - One of the most anticipated exhibitions of the season opens at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection on Friday, October 10, 2014. Morrice and Lyman in the Company of Matisse takes visitors on a journey through the sunbathed landscapes and bustling marketplaces of exotic painting locales around the world, including Venice, Paris, North Africa, and the West Indies.

More than 130 works by Canadian expatriates James Wilson Morrice and John Lyman frame a selection of rarely seen canvases and drawings by the internationally acclaimed French master, Henri Matisse. This is the first exhibition to consider the connection between the three artists. In the Company of Matisse traces their artistic paths over more than five decades and explores their quest to capture shimmering light and vibrant colour.

"Morrice and Lyman in the Company of Matisse reflects the McMichael's commitment to bringing exhibitions that are unconventional and surprising, and that present new ways of looking at Canadian art," said Katerina Atanassova, McMichael Chief Curator.

In the Company of Matisse has been reinterpreted and enlarged by Atanassova through the addition of works from private collections, including paintings and drawings by Matisse, that expand upon the themes of exoticism and the figure.

Media are invited to a special exhibition preview at the McMichael on Thursday, October 9 between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. To attend, RSVP to Rachel Weiner, Media Relations and Communications Coordinator, 905.893.1121 ext. 2210 or [email protected].

The exhibition is organized and circulated by the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, a government corporation funded by the Ministry of Culture and Communications of Québec. The Museum acknowledges the generous support of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the National Gallery of Canada.

Additional support for the exhibition is provided by: Exhibition Patron, AK Prakash Foundation; Presenting Sponsor, RBC Wealth Management; with Financial Assistance from the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund.

The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is an agency of the Government of Ontario and acknowledges the support of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

SOURCE: McMichael Canadian Art Collection

McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 10365 Islington Avenue, Kleinburg, Ontario, L0J 1C0, 1.888.213.1121, mcmichael.com