In 1917, late into his struggle with rheumatoid arthritis, Pierre-Auguste Renoir met the young Henry Matisse. The two men became fast friends, bonding over a love of color, and Matisse was a frequent visitor in Renoir’s home in Cagnes-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera. Renoir died in 1919, but those two years of mutual support between the artists had a lasting impact on Matisse’s work. Drawing on renowned pieces in its collection—such as Matisse’s The Joy of Life (1905–06) and Red Madras Headdress (1907), and Renoir’s Leaving the Conservatory (1876–77) and Mussel-Fishers at Berneval (1879)—the Barnes Foundation offers new insights into these two powerhouse artists and their aesthetics. —Clara Molot