HERMITAGE MUS., ST PETERSBURG; GUGGENHEIM MUS., NEW YORK
Woman with a fan, 1908 Rigid geometry and limited color defined Picasso's cubism. The Italian woman, 1916 Matisse's delayed response to cubism reflected its austerity
If ying is shaped by yang, if light is defined by dark, if force is more potent beside counterforce, then the art of Pablo Picasso is better understood next to that of Henri Matisse. And vice versa. That at least is the concept driving "Matisse Picasso," the remarkable exhibition at London's Tate Modern until Aug. 18. And it is an idea that would sit quite comfortably with the two giants of 20th century art. "You've got to be able to picture side by side everything Matisse and I were doing at the time," Picasso said toward the end of his life....
