Henri Matisse, Marguerite endormie, 1920; Huile sur toile, 46 x 65.5 cm. Collection particulière / © Martin Parsekian

Henri Matisse painted many subjects throughout his lifetime, but one he returned to again and again was his daughter, Marguerite. “Matisse and Marguerite Through Her Father’s Eyes” at the Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris brings together more than 100 works (paintings along with drawings, prints, sculptures and ceramics) that capture the essence of Marguerite Duthuit-Matisse. The museum calls her “little known,” but, as exhibition co-curator Charlotte Barat-Mabille tells Observer, “Matisse depicted his daughter over a hundred times, and her portraits were exhibited in many major international exhibitions.”

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Perhaps little known, but often shown? “The fact remains that, until now, the public did not know much about her,” Barat-Mabille clarifies. “One reason might be that Marguerite herself was quite a private or reserved person—for instance, she only gave one interview in her lifetime, in 1970. And when the journalist began by asking whether she inspired her father,  she dodged the question and spoke about his other models.”