The U.S. Debut of Picasso–Klee–Matisse: Masterpieces from the Museum Berggruen, Berlin Now at Museum of Fine Arts Houston

The U.S. debut is the internationally touring exhibition with nearly 100 works

Exhibit highlights careers of Picasso and Klee and showcases Matisse’s signature cut-outs, Giacometti’s haunting, elongated sculptures and paintings and drawings by Paul Cézanne and Georges Braque

ABOUT PICASSO-KLEE-MATISSE: MASTERPIECES from the MUSEUM BERGGRUEN:

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is currently hosting the U.S. debut of a selection of modern masterworks by Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, Henri Matisse, Alberto Giacometti and other figures of the postwar European avant-garde, assembled by the famed gallerist and collector Heinz Berggruen. Picasso–Klee–Matisse: Masterpieces from the Museum Berggruen will be on view at the MFAH through September 13, 2026.

“This exhibition is a chance to discover some less-familiar works by some of the greatest artists of the 20th century, reflecting the personal taste of a discerning collector,” said Ann Dumas, consulting curator of European art at the MFAH.

Between the 1940s and the 1990s, Heinz Berggruen assembled a singular collection of hundreds of modern masterworks, many of them directly from the artists. Picasso–Klee–Matisse: Masterpieces from the Museum Berggruen presents more than 95 of the works that Berggruen collected.

“I am honored to bring to the U.S. and to Houston these exceptional masterworks,” said Gary Tinterow, director and Margaret Alkek Williams chair of the MFAH. “It is especially rewarding to introduce our audiences to the life and legacy of Heinz Berggruen—a pioneering art dealer, publisher and collector whom I was privileged to know and work with for more than two decades. His exhibitions on the rue de l’Université were a must for every art collector visiting Paris, and his museum in Berlin has become a pilgrimage point for connoisseurs.”

The MFAH exhibition combines thematic areas of focus, including still life, portraits, the human figure, and landscapes, with in-depth presentations devoted to individual artists, highlighting the entire careers of Picasso and Klee and showcasing Matisse’s signature cut outs, Giacometti’s haunting, elongated sculptures and paintings and drawings by Paul Cézanne and Georges Braque.

Dena Woodall, the museum’s curator of prints and drawings, added, “The exhibition blends both a monographic and theme-based focus; it is the first time the museum is showing the work of Paul Klee in such depth—from his mysterious, lyrical drawings to his studies of color and form, stemming from his time as a teacher at the Bauhaus.”

TICKET INFORMATION:

Please visit the MFAH website here.

EXPERIENCE THE CULINARY CANVAS SERIES AT MFAH WHEN YOU VISIT:

Le Jardinier and Cafe Leonelli, in collaboration with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, continue their ongoing Culinary Canvas series with creative dishes and drinks inspired by Picasso-Klee-Matisse: Masterpieces from the Museum Berggruen. All items are available until Sept. 13 in conjunction with the MFAH exhibition.

At Le Jardinier, Culinary Director Alain Verzeroli and Executive Chef Felipe Botero crafted the Octopus Carpaccio ($28), highlighting the exhibition’s abstract compositions with Spanish chorizo, artichokes, guisantes and Pimentón de la Vera. For dessert, Executive Pastry Chef Salvatore Martone and Pastry Chef Tiffani Ann Gkaris introduce Chef’s Kiss ($22), inspired by Picasso’s Blue Period and the structured geometry of Cubism, featuring layers of spiced chocolate mousse, caramel flan, and cocoa sablé. Also enjoy the Perfumed Impressions ($20) cocktail, which pays tribute to Pablo Picasso’s affinity for absinthe. Infused with butterfly pea flower, the cocktail is finished with citrus oils that create delicate, floating forms. 

At Cafe Leonelli partake in the  Cookiesmo ($6), a chocolate coffee cookie inspired by Picasso’s iconic coffee pot motif and Cubest-era use of everyday objects. 

Photos courtesy of MFAH