1869
Henri Matisse is born in Le Cateau-Cambrésis
1890
Matisse begins his first painting studies
From 1891
gives up legal practice and begins studying art at the Académie Julian Arts in Paris
1896
Exhibits at the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts
1906
Makes the acquaintance of Pablo Picasso and exhibits at the Paris Autumn Salon
1908
Founding of the Académie Matisse
1918
Moves to Nice, where he maintains contact with Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Pierre Bonnard and Picasso
1943
Retrospective exhibition at the Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York
1945
Retrospective exhibition Matisse and Picasso at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Exhibition of drawings at the Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York
1946
Matisse-Picasso exhibition in Brussels
1950
receives the prize for painting at the 25th Venice Biennale
1951
In spring, exhibition of paintings at the National Museum in Tokyo; exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art New York, which is subsequently shown in Cleveland, Chicago and San Francisco
1952
Inauguration of the Musée Henri Matisse in Le Cateau-Cambrésis
1953
Exhibition of works from Papier découpé at the Galerie Berggruen, Paris
1954
Henri Matisse dies in Nice on 3 November