1914–1926

Claude Monet

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A monumental set of eight compositions designed as a unique environment in two elliptical rooms. Gifted to the French State as a symbol of peace after the 1918 Armistice, it is described as the "Sistine Chapel of Impressionism.”

c 1923

Chaïm Soutine

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Le Village is considered the most radical and unusual of Chaim Soutine's landscapes. While the subject—comprising houses, trees, and the sky—appears classical, the treatment reveals a tormented character and an affirmation of great modernity. Soutine dramatically distorted and intertwined every element, effectively eliminating any traditional sense of perspective or balance. This "mental landscape" eclipses the strict observation of nature to make way for a profound expression of feeling. Despite its distorted appearance, the painting is modeled after a real location: La Basse Gaude, a village near Cagnes. This work belongs to a series of nine paintings produced in 1923-1924, featuring houses and a mill clinging to a rocky hillside at varying heights. Soutine created this piece during a period of emotional contradiction; in late 1923, he wrote to the Parisian gallery owner Zborowski, "I would like to leave Cagnes. This landscape that I can no longer stand..." This anguished and subjective reinterpretation of his environment firmly places Soutine within the Expressionist tradition that was particularly marked before and after the First World War.

1922–1923

Chaïm Soutine

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This portrait of a pastry cook marked a decisive moment in Chaïm Soutine’s career. In 1923, after Paul Guillaume acquired a version of the subject—now in the Barnes Foundation Collection—it was immediately hailed by Albert Barnes as "a peach!", transforming Soutine overnight into a recognized hero of Montparnasse. Soutine produced six versions of this same subject that are known today. Likely inspired by Jean Fouquet’s Portrait of Charles VII in the Louvre, the model’s pose—featuring an elongated face, fragile neck, and distorted features—exudes a strong expressive power. The flat, vivid red of the cloth creates a striking contrast against the white jacket rendered with touches of grey and green. Paul Guillaume purchased this exceptionally accomplished version in the early 1930s as a tribute to the first "Pastry Cook" that he had liked so much. This painting is now held in the Musée de l’Orangerie, preserving the legacy of the work that so significantly changed Soutine’s fortunes.

1917

Henri Matisse

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This portrait of three sisters is one of Henri Matisse's masterworks, featuring three young brunettes seated before a bistre background. While two of the young women look out at the viewer, the third is absorbed in her reading, showcasing their different attitudes. The painter successfully creates a perfect balance between seemingly incompatible elements, such as discordant colors and the impression of juxtaposed levels of perspective. The work was inspired by multiple sources, including Manet's paintings, Japanese engraving, and the painting Les dames de Gand (The Three Gand Ladies) conserved at the Louvre, which was attributed to Jacques-Louis David at the time. Matisse's interest in this subject was expressed many times, leading to several versions; notably, three other paintings of the three sisters are conserved at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia. This particular version in the Musée de l'Orangerie was one of the few works Paul Guillaume purchased at a public sale. It is highly likely he acquired it in memory of the other paintings of the sisters he had previously ceded to Doctor Barnes while helping build his collection.