Nearing the end of his life Henri Matisse embarked upon what he called his ‘masterpiece’, the Chapelle du Rosaire situated in the south of France. It is a small chapel dedicated to the Dominican Nuns of Vence, perched on a steep hillside, and looking out over the town. Matisse worked on the chapel between 1947 and 1951, finishing it 3 years before his death. It was a project that brought together his entire life’s work. He believed he was chosen by fate to complete the project, not so much as a calling to God, but as a spiritual awakening. He was inspired by his nurse who looked after him after cancer surgery. After caring for him she joined the order of Dominican nuns and asked for Matisse’s help in the design of a new chapel. Matisse designed every aspect of the chapel from the architecture to the altar candlesticks. His total control over the design means the chapel can be seen as a complete Matisse vision.
I visited the chapel with my parents when I was a child. Although my memory is not totally clear, I remember being in awe of the space Matisse had created. It was an emotional experience less about religion, more about the power of spirituality from immense beauty. My strongest memory is of the large stained-glass window that sits behind the altar in the main chapel area that reaches from the floor to the ceiling. Called the Tree of Life, it depicts paddle like stems in bright blue that bear yellow cactus fruits against a sea green background. This seems to be a symbol of endurance, with the cactus plants reminiscent of the desert landscape juxtaposed against the bright colours of blue, yellow and green which suggest abundance and nature’s fertility. The branches reach up towards the ceiling and are bordered with yellow, as if they are growing towards a divine light. There are also fifteen narrow stained-glass windows decorated with abstract palm fronds reminiscent of organ pipes. The blue and green glass is translucent, and the yellow glass is opaque, so when the sun shines through the glass, the chapel is filled with a soft yellow light and the floor is decorated with dancing-coloured shapes. This aura is created by the use of light and line enhanced by small details such as the stone altarpiece, made simply from three pieces of stone chosen to remind us of the bread of the eucharist. Matisse even designed the chasubles for the priest to wear, in bright primary colours decorated with strong shapes and patterns.
Often when visiting religious spaces, I am met with a sense of calm, but Matisse’s chapel is a complete sensory experience. As Matisse said, his design sought to purify and relieve you of your burdens.
