[Asma Naeem] Hello and Bonjour! I’m Asma Naeem, Dorothy Wagner Wallis Director of the Baltimore Museum of Art. Welcome and Bienvenue to Matisse in Vence: The Stations of the Cross. This exhibition is one of three this spring that celebrate an artist special to the BMA—the esteemed French painter Henri Matisse. [Katy Rothkopf]  Hi, I’m Katy Rothkopf, The Anne and Ben Cone Memorial Director of the Ruth R. Marder Center for Matisse Studies, and Senior Curator of European Painting and Sculpture at the BMA. In 1951, the Catholic Church consecrated Matisse’s Chapel of the Rosary, his only large-scale architectural project, which the artist called  his “greatest achievement.” A highlight of this project is Matisse’s unusual interpretation of the Stations of the Cross—a visual story of Jesus’ final hours  and a devotional practice embraced by Catholic Christians since the 17th century. This  mural deviates dramatically from traditional presentations of the Stations, and perhaps, even the Matisse you’re familiar with through the BMA’s collection. [Naeem] The BMA is home to the largest and most comprehensive collection of works by Henri Matisse in a public museum. Matisse in Vence builds on this extraordinary  strength by examining an understudied artwork by the artist: The Stations of the Cross mural. Presented here for the first time—and many of these works have never left France until now—the works in this exhibition are the studies Matisse created as he developed the final mural, offering a rare and revealing look into his creative process. [Rothkopf] In this guide, you’ll hear from Dr. Yve-Alain Bois, a Matisse scholar and guest curator for this exhibition; and Father Josemaría Guzmán-Domínguez, a local clergy member from Saints Philip and James Catholic Church near the BMA. Together, they will introduce you to the Stations of the Cross and Matisse’s interest in it. You can also choose to listen to the prayers that worshippers traditionally recite in front of each Station. [Naeem] We are excited to share this less familiar work by Matisse with you and hope it inspires a deeper appreciation for the artist’s ever-evolving practice.