O ne of the most captivating works in the Pritzker Collection is Henri Matisse’s Léda et le cygne (Leda and the Swan), an extraordinary triptych that merges myth, architecture, and art. Commissioned by the Anchorena family for their home on Avenue Foch in Paris, the work was painted directly onto a set of wooden doors, turning an architectural feature into a luminous and deeply personal artwork.
At its center, Matisse reimagines the classical myth of Leda and the swan, surrounded by panels of rich red and gold leaf that recall the organic forms and vibrant color of his later stained glass designs. The piece reflects Matisse’s enduring interest in the relationship between art and environment, and in the transformation of everyday spaces through beauty and imagination.
Still held in private hands, Léda et le cygne remains a rare example of Matisse’s architectural commissions—an intimate window into the artist’s evolving vision and mastery of form. This masterpiece is on offer in The Cindy and Jay Pritzker Collection Evening Auction taking place at Sotheby's New York on 20 November.
