Thu June 11 - Sun September 13, 2026

Matisse's Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal

at SFMOMA (see times)

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Experience the moment Matisse used color to break the rules of modern art.

In 1905, Henri Matisse sent shockwaves through the art world with Femme au chapeau (Woman with a Hat), a portrait of his wife, Amélie, painted in bold color and loose brushstrokes that defied convention. This exhibition brings the original stakes into focus and explores the enduring impact of one of Matisse's most iconic works.

Step into the gallery at the Salon d'Automne where it all began.

Explore a restaging of Femme au chapeau's public debut in 1905, bringing together the greatest number of works from that historic display in over a century. See why paintings by Matisse, André Derain, Albert Marquet, Maurice de Vlaminck, and others sparked such heated debate and admiration during their time.

Trace how artists have responded to Femme au chapeau across generations.

From Matisse's peers to artists working today, such as Hilary Harkness and Rachel Harrison, see how the painting has shaped perceptions about color, content, form, and expression. The exhibition also uncovers its impact closer to home, on Bay Area figurative artists like Joan Brown, Richard Diebenkorn, and David Park.

Image Credit: Henri Matisse, Femme au chapeau (Woman with a Hat), 1905 (detail); San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, bequest of Elise B. Haas; photo: Ben Blackwell, courtesy SFMOMA

Experience the moment Matisse used color to break the rules of modern art.

In 1905, Henri Matisse sent shockwaves through the art world with Femme au chapeau (Woman with a Hat), a portrait of his wife, Amélie, painted in bold color and loose brushstrokes that defied convention. This exhibition brings the original stakes into focus and explores the enduring impact of one of Matisse's most iconic works.

Step into the gallery at the Salon d'Automne where it all began.

Explore a restaging of Femme au chapeau's public debut in 1905, bringing together the greatest number of works from that historic display in over a century. See why paintings by Matisse, André Derain, Albert Marquet, Maurice de Vlaminck, and others sparked such heated debate and admiration during their time.

Trace how artists have responded to Femme au chapeau across generations.

From Matisse's peers to artists working today, such as Hilary Harkness and Rachel Harrison, see how the painting has shaped perceptions about color, content, form, and expression. The exhibition also uncovers its impact closer to home, on Bay Area figurative artists like Joan Brown, Richard Diebenkorn, and David Park.

Image Credit: Henri Matisse, Femme au chapeau (Woman with a Hat), 1905 (detail); San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, bequest of Elise B. Haas; photo: Ben Blackwell, courtesy SFMOMA

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Event Details

Category:

Art, Museums

Date/Times:

Thu Jun 11 (12noon - 8pm)
Fri Jun 12 (10am - 5pm)
Sat Jun 13 (10am - 5pm)
Sun Jun 14 (10am - 5pm)
Mon Jun 15 (10am - 5pm)
Tue Jun 16 (10am - 5pm)
Thu Jun 18 (12noon - 8pm)
Fri Jun 19 (10am - 5pm)
Sat Jun 20 (10am - 5pm)
Sun Jun 21 (10am - 5pm)
Mon Jun 22 (10am - 5pm)
Tue Jun 23 (10am - 5pm)
Thu Jun 25 (12noon - 8pm)
Fri Jun 26 (10am - 5pm)
Sat Jun 27 (10am - 5pm)
Sun Jun 28 (10am - 5pm)
Mon Jun 29 (10am - 5pm)
Tue Jun 30 (10am - 5pm)
Thu Jul 2 (12noon - 8pm)
Fri Jul 3 (10am - 5pm)
Sat Jul 4 (10am - 5pm)
Sun Jul 5 (10am - 5pm)
Mon Jul 6 (10am - 5pm)
Tue Jul 7 (10am - 5pm)
Thu Jul 9 (12noon - 8pm)
Fri Jul 10 (10am - 5pm)
Sat Jul 11 (10am - 5pm)
Sun Jul 12 (10am - 5pm)
Mon Jul 13 (10am - 5pm)
Tue Jul 14 (10am - 5pm)
Thu Jul 16 (12noon - 8pm)
Fri Jul 17 (10am - 5pm)
Sat Jul 18 (10am - 5pm)
Sun Jul 19 (10am - 5pm)
Mon Jul 20 (10am - 5pm)
Tue Jul 21 (10am - 5pm)
Thu Jul 23 (12noon - 8pm)
Fri Jul 24 (10am - 5pm)
Sat Jul 25 (10am - 5pm)
Sun Jul 26 (10am - 5pm)
Mon Jul 27 (10am - 5pm)
Tue Jul 28 (10am - 5pm)
Thu Jul 30 (12noon - 8pm)
Fri Jul 31 (10am - 5pm)
Sat Aug 1 (10am - 5pm)
Sun Aug 2 (10am - 5pm)
Mon Aug 3 (10am - 5pm)
Tue Aug 4 (10am - 5pm)
Thu Aug 6 (12noon - 8pm)
Fri Aug 7 (10am - 5pm)
Sat Aug 8 (10am - 5pm)
Sun Aug 9 (10am - 5pm)
Mon Aug 10 (10am - 5pm)
Tue Aug 11 (10am - 5pm)
Thu Aug 13 (12noon - 8pm)
Fri Aug 14 (10am - 5pm)
Sat Aug 15 (10am - 5pm)
Sun Aug 16 (10am - 5pm)
Mon Aug 17 (10am - 5pm)
Tue Aug 18 (10am - 5pm)
Thu Aug 20 (12noon - 8pm)
Fri Aug 21 (10am - 5pm)
Sat Aug 22 (10am - 5pm)
Sun Aug 23 (10am - 5pm)
Mon Aug 24 (10am - 5pm)
Tue Aug 25 (10am - 5pm)
Thu Aug 27 (12noon - 8pm)
Fri Aug 28 (10am - 5pm)
Sat Aug 29 (10am - 5pm)
Sun Aug 30 (10am - 5pm)
Mon Aug 31 (10am - 5pm)
Tue Sep 1 (10am - 5pm)
Thu Sep 3 (12noon - 8pm)
Fri Sep 4 (10am - 5pm)
Sat Sep 5 (10am - 5pm)
Sun Sep 6 (10am - 5pm)
Mon Sep 7 (10am - 5pm)
Tue Sep 8 (10am - 5pm)
Thu Sep 10 (12noon - 8pm)
Fri Sep 11 (10am - 5pm)
Sat Sep 12 (10am - 5pm)
Sun Sep 13 (10am - 5pm)

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