Having a background in graphic design, I am often drawn to artists whose work is bold and graphic. Henri Matisse does just that. He uses color in such a way that he became known for it. He was not always interested in pursuing art though. In 1869, Matisse prepared for his law exams at Lycee in St. Quentin, Paris. While living there, he didn’t even visit the Louvre. It wasn’t until 1890–when attacked with appendicitis–that he got into art. He was inspired by a treatise by Goupil, and explored this through painting.
This was the turning point, where Matisse knew painting would become his life. Matisse grew up watching his mother advise customers which color of house paints to buy. This gave him a strong sense of color at a young age. Matisse’s mother encouraged him not to follow the rules, but listen to his feelings instead. He continued to pursue this passion and applied to Ecole des Beaux-Arts. After failing the entrance exam, he instead worked in Gustave Moreau’s studio. He began exhibiting and selling work, getting recognition from at the Salon de la Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts. Shortly after, Matisse got married, and did some traveling and studying other art. He returned to Paris in 1899, and exhibited his work at the Salon de la Nationale for the last time.
One of Matisse’s first successful works was The Dinner Table (1897). When first seeing this painting, I would have never guessed it was Matisse’s. Before moving to fauvism, it’s clear Matisse was inspired by impressionism. This painting was considered scandalous because his approach was similar to Pierre-Auguste Renoir, but painted in a deep red and green. Although these early paintings are not as vivid as his later works, Matisse is still very selective with his color palette.
Matisse’s technique, color, and style began to change gradually over the next few years. Post-impressionists, such as Cézanne, Gauguin, and Van Gogh inspired this change in artistic style. Matisse began to ignored logical perspective, eliminate the use of shadows, and experiment with line and color. His goal was to change the accepted way of seeing in the Western world.
Matisse thrived as the fauvist movement took off. Rather than using representational or realistic ideas, it favored the use of strong colors. Fauves were known as “wild beasts,” and began to cause an uproar while exhibiting their work in Salon d’Automne. Viewers scratched the canvases and laughed at the work they saw. One of the most noticed pieces was Matisse’s Woman with a Hat. This piece is a lot more recognizable to me than The Dinner Table. After seeing hundreds of paintings at museums and art history classes, there aren’t very many that combine vivid colors and expressive brushstrokes the way Matisse does. Leo Stein, a member of the family who purchased the painting, described it as "the nastiest smear of paint I had ever seen.” However, they did recognize it as an important piece to the art movement.
Even though the Fauvist movement started to decline in 1906, Matisse became more well known. We created some of his best works during 1917, while living in Paris with other artists. He began experimenting with lithographs, creating a series of twelve nude variations. These were shown to the public right away, and then exhibited in both the Druet Gallery and the Salon des Independants. His artwork went in and out of exhibitions, heavily admired by Russians and Americans. The French did not understand or appreciate the artist’s talent.
After living in Paris for several years, Matisse decided to travel to the bright and colorful city of Nice, France in 1917. During this period, his primary subject matter includes women in costume, often in exotic and decorative settings. Matisse continued this until 1929, when he decided to travel to America and put a hold on easel painting. While in New York, he was commissioned to paint a large-scale mural on the mansion of a collector of modern art. In addition to this new form of art, Matisse also created twelve illustrated books: livre d’artiste. Matisse began these after being approached by Swiss publisher Albert Skira. In the summer of 1930, he focused all of his attention on finishing the books. The etchings Matisse created mostly reflected his vacation in the South Pacific. Matisse continued to create prints for poets, one major work being Florilege des Amours de Ronsard for poet Pierre de Ronsard. These prints displayed fruit, flowers, and females and was considered one of his most complicated yet successful projects.
Matisse had not only created art for poets, but he also created etchings for novels. American publisher George Macey commissioned Matisse “to create as many etchings as his budget would afford for a special illustrated edition of Ulysses,” by James Joyce. Matisse created a series of drawings that were featured in a limited number of books. Unknown to most, Matisse explored design and created magazine covers, book covers, and posters throughout his life. He experimented with type, cutting out letters, or doing it by hand.
In 1941, Matisse was diagnosed with cancer. Although he had to use a wheelchair after his surgery, Matisse never stopped creating. He looked at this as an opportunity; “Une seconde vie,” a second life. Matisse channeled his built up energy to work in a new style of art. He started creating cut paper collages in a large scale. Although Matisse could not leave his bed to paint, he was able to “paint with scissors.” He explored this unique technique, and even went on to publish a limited-edition book–Jazz– which had paper collages and written thoughts. He continued along this path and created black and white illustrations for books.
Outside of his artwork, Matisse still kept his quirky sense of humor and positive attitude. Beginning in 1941, Matisse developed a strong connection with French writer André Rouveyre. Although they had known each other since the 1890s, their friendship had not began to grow until after Matisse’s surgery. The two men often wrote to each other–as much as several times a day. Matisse shared drawings with Rouveyre and expressed his creativity with decorated envelopes. As a satirical writer, Rouveyre was humorous in his letters to Matisse, and both of them shared a form of intimacy. The art he created during this time can be related to this sense of happiness and creativity; although he had suffered great pain, his new outlook on life allowed him to create as he never had before.
Matisse truly created until his last breath. In 1951, he began a four-year project, designing several aspects of the Chapelle du Rosaire in Vence. At this point of his life, Matisse was barely able to stand and had to use a long pole with his paint brush attached to work on the chapel. After this project, he continued making gouache cutouts. His last piece, La Gerbe, was created only months before his death. At the age of eighty-four, Matisse died of a heart attack.
As a man who had begun his life headed in the opposite direction of art, Henri Matisse was an unusually successful artist. While most artists grow up drawing or painting, he had not experience this until later. Fortunately for him, he already had obtained a peculiar sense of color. Not only did this ability stand out, but his personality and drive allowed him to be the successful artist he became. There were several instances in his life where his newfound love of art pushed him to pursue this career: when his family faced a crisis, he helped them work through it and picked up where he left off with his career; when his art was criticized and rejected, he was let down, but continued creating and improving his techniques; when he was diagnosed with cancer, and worked with the last bit of energy he had to build and inspire.