Collection 1950s–1970s

Henri Matisse. Maquette for Nuit de Noël. 1952 474

Gouache on paper, cut-and-pasted on board, Sheet: 107 × 53 1/2" (271.8 × 135.9 cm). Gift of Time Inc. © 2025 Succession H. Matisse / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Narrator: In 1952, Matisse was commissioned by the Time Life Company to create a stained glass window for holiday celebrations at Rockefeller Center. He called this work Nuit de Noël, or Christmas Eve. But before committing a design to glass, Matisse made this maquette, or model, with cut-and-pasted paper. Look closely at the paper stars that dominate the scene.

Curator, Jodi Hauptman: There are forms that appear as if Matisse could have cut out from a single sheet but instead he builds it up from small bits. This is an artist who's very good at cutting; but instead of cutting a five-pointed star just out of a single sheet, he always builds a star out of five triangles. And so that's been an ongoing question: Why does he do that? Is he trying to model it the way he would model sculpture, or even using paint? You know, what's the reason for that?

Narrator: On December 4, 1952, Matisse wrote to Alfred Barr, MoMA's Founding Director:

Henri Matisse (read by an actor): The stained-glass window has finally left for New York. It will be exhibited during the Christmas holiday at Rockefeller Center. If you have a chance to see it, you will agree with me that a maquette for a stained-glass window and the window itself are like a musical score and its performance by an orchestra.