Reception: 4:30 p.m. — 5:30 p.m. CT | Event: 5:30 p.m. — 6:30 p.m. CT

This event is free and open to the public. Register today to join us in person or to view the event online.

Join us in conversation with Christopher C. Gorham, author of Matisse at War: Art and Resistance in Nazi Occupied France, which explores how one of the most celebrated artists of the modern era proved that even in war, creativity could be a force of resistance and liberation.

A reception from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. will precede the event, and Gorham will sign copies of his book following the presentation. For additional information, please email Connie Gentry, Conference and Programs Manager, at connie.gentry@nationalww2museum.org.

About Matisse at War

In 1940, as Nazi forces swept across France, Henri Matisse stood at a personal and creative crossroads. Gravely ill and reeling from the end of his 42-year marriage, Matisse chose not to flee; he remained in Nice, where he would become a quiet symbol of defiance and resilience. But the war reached far beyond his studio walls. Many members of Matisse’s family were deeply entangled in the Resistance–from his son Jean carrying out sabotage missions with the Allies to his estranged wife, Amélie, aiding the Communist underground in Paris, to his daughter Marguerite narrowly escaping deportation to Ravensbrück concentration camp. Amid the turmoil, Matisse turned inward–yet forward–creating a bold new technique with paper cut-outs that would redefine his legacy. Works like The Fall of Icarus, Monsieur Loyal, his portrait of Charles de Gaulle, and the revolutionary art book Jazz became quiet but powerful acts of resistance: daring, patriotic, and full of life. In Matisse at War, author Christopher C. Gorham brings this remarkable chapter of the artist’s to life with vivid storytelling and newly uncovered personal letters. What emerges is an unforgettable portrait of an artist who, in the darkest of times, found a new way to see–and to help his country see itself.

About the Author

Christopher C. Gorham is a lawyer, educator, and acclaimed author of The Confidante, a Goodreads Choice Award finalist in History/Biography, and Matisse at War (Citadel, September 2025). His writing has appeared in the Washington Post, Literary Hub, Paper Brigade, and elsewhere. He is a frequent speaker at conferences, literary events, classrooms, and book club gatherings around the country. He lives in Boston and can be found at ChristopherCGorham.com and on social media @christophercgorham.