DENVER, CO.- The Denver Art Museum hosts the exhibition Matisse and Friends: Selected Masterworks from the National Gallery of Art, October 12, 2014–February 8, 2015. Matisse and Friends will showcase 14 paintings from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., by artists Henri Matisse, André Derain, Albert Marquet, Maurice de Vlaminck, Raoul Dufy, Georges Braque and Kees Van Dongen.

“Matisse and Friends is a perfect complement to the dazzle of Brilliant: Cartier in the 20th Century on view upstairs,” said Christoph Heinrich, Frederick and Jan Mayer Director of the Denver Art Museum. “The DAM has created an in-gallery oasis for our visitors to bask in the visual delight of these vibrant paintings.”

The artists featured in Matisse and Friends shocked the art world with their raw approach and triggered a succession of innovative movements in modern art. Working in and around Paris at the turn of the 20th century, these artists were part of a creative community that sought to redefine painting, favoring an expressive style that emphasized loose brushwork and bold colors.

“The gallery setting draws inspiration from Matisse’s studio, employing vibrant walls, colorful rugs and plush couches that encourage visitors to sit back and savor the details, indulging in each painting’s vibrant palette, vigorous brushstrokes and rich surface texture,” said Danielle Stephens, master teacher for modern and contemporary art at the DAM.

Matisse and Friends will be on view in the Gallagher Family Gallery on level one of the Hamilton Building and is included in museum admission.