April's must-see exhibitions: Matisse, Morris and the design of the 1940s

As the art world descends on Hong Kong for Art Basel, museums and galleries begin launching their summer blockbusters. These are the exhibitions opening in April that caught our eye.

Morris Mania: How Britain’s Greatest Designer Went Viral, William Morris Gallery, London

5 April-21 September

This exhibition is part of the 75th anniversary celebrations of the William Morris Gallery, housed in a mansion the artist lived in as a teenager. The show will bring together works from the collection dating back to the 1860s, with items lent by other institutions, as well as a plethora of Morris-themed objects loaned and donated from members of the public. More

Boom: Art and Design in the 1940s, Philadelphia Museum of Art

12 April-1 September

Marking 80 years since the end of the Second World War, this show plays on the double meaning of the word “boom” as either the rumble of weaponry or the boost of invention and progress. The exhibition will bring together more than 250 works drawn from the museum’s rich holdings of that decade—many being conserved especially for the show—and spans painting, sculpture, fashion, photography, furniture and design. More

Five Friends: John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Cy Twombl, Museum Brandhorst, Munich and Museum Ludwig, Cologne

10 April-17 August and 3 October-11 January 2026

Robert Rauschenberg, the tirelessly experimental and collaborative American artist who died in 2008, would have turned 100 this year. In honour of his centenary, the New York-based Robert Rauschenberg Foundation is spearheading a globe-spanning programme of exhibitions, beginning with this show, which brings together more than 150 objects including works of art, archival material, costumes, stage props, scores and a performance programme. More

Maria Helena Vieira da Silva: Anatomy of Space, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice

12 April-15 September

Though a national treasure in Portugal, and well known in France, Maria Helena Vieira da Silva's wider reputation has dwindled since her death, and she still “needs to be rediscovered by many audiences”, according to the show’s curator. This exhibition, which comprises around 70 works from public and private lenders around the world, takes a broadly chronological view of the artist's evolving visual language. More

Matisse and Marguerite: Through Her Father’s Eyes, Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris

4 April-24 August

Matisse and Marguerite: Through Her Father’s Eyes, it will focus on the relationship between the painter and his daughter, Marguerite Duthuit-Matisse, who he had with his model Caroline Joblaud in 1894. Included in the show will be ubiquitous masterpieces, like Marguerite au chat noir (1910) as well as many works that have simply never been seen. More