Henri Matisse
(1869 – 1954)
Self-Portrait
1900
Henri Matisse was a French artist, known for his use of color and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known primarily as a painter. Matisse is commonly regarded, along with Picasso, as one of the two seminal artists of the 20th century, responsible for significant developments in painting and sculpture. Although he was initially labelled a Fauve (wild beast), by the 1920s he was increasingly hailed as an upholder of the classical tradition in French painting. His mastery of the expressive language of colour and drawing, displayed in a body of work spanning over a half-century, won him recognition as a leading figure in modern art.
Woman Reading
1894
He first started to paint in 1889, when his mother had brought him art supplies during a period of convalescence following an attack of appendicitis. He discovered "a kind of paradise" as he later described it,[ and decided to become an artist, deeply disappointing his father.
The Maid
1896
Nude with a White Wash Towel
1902-03
Blue Nude
1905
Le bonheur de vivre (The Joy of Life)
1905-06
Marguiritte
(the artist's daughter)
1906
Madame Matisse
(the artist's first wife)
1907
1909
"When I put a green, it it not grass. When I put a blue, it is not the sky."
1910
Seville Still-Life
1910-1911
The Goldfish
1912
The White Feather
1919
Odalesque with Red Pants
1921
Odalesque with Gray Pants
1927
"Creativity takes courage."
The Romanian Green Blouse
1939
"The portrait is one of the most curious art forms. It demands special qualities in the artist, and an almost total kinship with the model."
Still-Life with Shellfish
1940
"I have always tried to hide my efforts and wished my works to have the light joyousness of springtime, which never lets anyone suspect the labors it has cost me...."
1944
"There are always flowers for those who want to see them."
Anfitrite
(guouace on paper cut and pasted)
1947
"Cutting into color reminds me of the sculptor's direct carving."
La Gerbe
1953
Blue Nude
1952
The Drawings
"Drawing is like making an expressive gesture with the advantage of permanence."
1932
1948
1948
1950
1951
Sources
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visit Roger for more interpretations
Very impressive for "M" day. Did you ever visit the Matisse Chapel in Vence?
ReplyDeleteI love the more abstracted work he did later in his life. I hadn't seen any of it before.
ReplyDeleteA great post for the M Day! Really enjoyed all the information about Matisse. I really love much of his work -- some of it is a little far out for me, but I think that's true with a lot of artists, particularly modern artists. You can't deny the talent though! Hope your week is going well, Gina! Have a great evening!
ReplyDeleteSylvia
What a visual treat! I love the artwork from this era especially the drawings done by Matisse. They're simple and timeless. Thank you for this great post :-)
ReplyDeleteMatisse = awesome. These paintings are so beautiful.
ReplyDeletebemistified.blogspot.com
great set of Matisse artwork.
ReplyDeleteROG, ABC Wednesday team
all great
ReplyDeletebut 'Dance' is a world treasure image.
He presaged 60's graphics too!
Aloha from Waikiki
Comfort Spiral
very engaging images.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pieces of art. I wouldn't mind having any of those on my wall.
ReplyDeleteWow what an extensive post on Matisse!
ReplyDeleteFine exploration of my favorite artist, Henri Matisse! :)
ReplyDeleteArt education, extraodinaire! Your ABC blogs just get better and better and this on Matisse is very special.
ReplyDeleteHelen Mac, ABC team
This is a wonderful overview of his oeuvre :-)
ReplyDeleteI never personally enjoyed Matisse's work as much as some others but his genius can't be denied.
Thank you all so much for your appreciation of the work of Matisse. He is one of my top ten favorite modern artists.
ReplyDeleteHelen: ABC Wednesday has provided me with further incentive to post about artists I enjoy. Thank you for making it possible. I'm really enjoying my participation!
Peace and love,
Gina
Fantastic selection of The Man's work, Young Lady!
ReplyDeleteI always think of "the masters" as being from such a distant time, it struck me to learn that our lives overlapped, if even for a little bi...
Thank you for your Matisse post and the beautiful illustrations of his work.
ReplyDelete