Henri MatisseFrench, 1869–1954Game of Bowls
May one see it?
Yes, receiving visitors
State Hermitage Museum
Room438Saint Petersburg, Russia
On public display.
- Checked
- 29 Aug 2026
- In this state since
- Aug 30, 2026
- Source
- The museum's own collection data
About the painting
Game of Bowls is a 1908 painting by the French artist Henri Matisse. The painting shows three young men, probably Matisse's sons and nephew, playing a game of boules. Matisse sees the game as a manifestation of man's creativity, and an instrument to use in understanding the codes of life. The painting is part of Matisse's series on man's "Golden Age" and was part of Sergei Shchukin's collection before the October Revolution of 1917. It is now in the collection of The Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia.
Particulars
- Accession number
- ГЭ-9154
In the catalog
Sources
- State Hermitage Museum: the museum's own open data · fetched 29 Aug 2026
- Image: State Hermitage Museum — Museum open access
Meanwhile, in the life of Henri Matisse
The whole life1906
Meeting Pablo Picasso
The first meeting between Matisse and Picasso took place at the Steins' salon on the Rue de Fleurus in Paris. Their creative friendship was full of rivalry and mutual respect.
20 March 1906
"Le Bonheur de Vivre" at the Salon des Indépendants
Matisse presented "Le Bonheur de Vivre" (The Joy of Life), a painting combining pastoral and bacchanal motifs. Critics and academic circles reacted with extreme irritation, but Leo Stein purchased this painting as well.
May 1906
Trip to Algeria
Matisse visited the oasis of Biskra; immediately upon his return he painted "Blue Nude (Souvenir de Biskra)" and created the sculpture "Reclining Nude I." He brought back ceramics and textiles from the trip and became fascinated with the ornamental art of the Muslim East.
1908
Shchukin's Commission for "Dance" and "Music"
The Russian collector Sergei Shchukin commissioned three decorative panels from Matisse for his Moscow house: "Dance," "Music," and "Bathing" (which remained at the sketch stage). The money of Russian collectors allowed the artist to finally overcome his financial difficulties.
25 December 1908
"Notes of a Painter"
"Notes of a Painter" was published in La Grande Revue, in which Matisse formulated his artistic principles — the need to convey emotion directly through simple means.
January 1908
Opening of the Académie Matisse
With the support of the Steins, Hans Purrmann, and other patrons, Matisse founded a private, non-commercial painting school, where he taught from January 1908 to 1911. About 100 students studied at the academy during that time.
