Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1544339
11 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 10 APRIL 2026 ART A new exhibition featuring works by some of the most influ- ential figures in Modern art will open in Gozo later this month, offering a rare glimpse into a private collection assembled during the height of the 20th century art movement. "The Hitchcock Collection: Matisse – Picasso – Chagall" will open at Arthall in Victoria on Sunday, 19 April at 5 p.m., with access on opening night limited to visitors with reserva- tions. The exhibition will run until 3 May 2026. The show presents eight works—lithographs, etchings and pochoirs—by Henri Ma- tisse, Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall, all created during the artists' lifetimes. Organisers say the pieces are notable for their rarity, existing outside standard numbered edi- tions and, in most cases, bear- ing pencil signatures and docu- mented provenance. The collection was assembled by Ingeborg Mehren-Hitchcock (1926–2026), a businesswom- an and art patron whose life spanned major upheavals of the 20th century. Born in Moravia to a Viennese family, she fled Nazi occupation during World War II and later settled in the United States, where she built a career in international trade be- fore turning increasingly to art collecting. Her entry into the art world was shaped in part by time spent in Paris in the 1950s, where she moved within cultural circles that included figures such as Picasso, writer Dorothy Parker and author Henry Miller. Over subsequent decades, she con- tinued to acquire works while living in the United States and travelling internationally. Curators say the exhibition reflects both the artistic sig- nificance of the works and the historical context in which they were collected. The pieces date from a period widely regarded as a flourishing era of Modernism in Paris and New York, and are described as "blue chip" works that have retained their value and provenance. Mehren-Hitchcock's wider life included business ventures ranging from commodities trad- ing during the post-war steel shortage to introducing Ameri- can food products to European markets, as well as later involve- ment in film, television and philanthropy. She maintained connections with prominent po- litical figures and cultural per- sonalities throughout her life. The exhibition at Arthall will be open Wednesday to Satur- day from 10am to pm and 5pm to 7pm, and on Sundays from 10am to 12pm The gallery will remain closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Further information and reservations are available through Arthall's official web- site and social media channels. Rare Matisse, Picasso and Chagall works go on display in Gozo Ingeborg Mehren- Hitchcock