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Basic data
Henri Matisse was a leading French artist of the 20th century who became known above all for his use of vivid colors and simplified forms. He was one of the most important representatives of Fauvism.
- Name: Henri Matisse
- Date of birth: December 31, 1869
- Place of birth: Le Cateau-Cambrésis, France
- Date of death: November 3, 1954
- Place of death: Nice, France
- Nationality: French
- Art style: Fauvism, Modern Art
- Known works: “La Danse”, “Woman with Hat”, “Icarus”
- Techniques: Painting, drawing, silhouettes
- Influences: Paul Cézanne, Gustave Moreau, Islamic art
- Similar artists: Marc Chagall, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Paul Klee, Gabriele Münter
- Exhibitions: International exhibitions, retrospectives at MoMA, Tate Modern, and Centre Pompidou
- Special features: Matisse developed the art of paper cutting in his later years
Henri Matisse shaped modern art with his colorful boldness and his striving for harmony and expression.
Henri Matisse Art For Sale
Henri Matisse Akanthes, 1953 art print framed
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Henri Matisse Nu Bleu I art print framed
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Biography
Childhood & Youth
Henri Matisse was born on December 31, 1869 in Le Cateau-Cambrésis, France, the son of a grain merchant. Growing up in a lower middle-class family, Matisse initially showed no particular interest in art. He initially studied law and began his career as a paralegal in Paris. However, during a long period of convalescence following appendicitis, he discovered painting by chance and developed a passion for drawing and painting that completely changed his life. At the age of 22, he decided to give up law and devote himself entirely to art.
In 1891, Matisse moved to Paris to study at the Académie Julian and later at the École des Beaux-Arts. There he was taught by Gustave Moreau, who paved his way to modern art. Matisse experimented with various styles early on, including Realism and Impressionism, but soon developed his own artistic language.
Fauvism: the breakthrough
Henri Matisse became one of the main representatives of the Fauvism movement, which emerged at the beginning of the 20th century. This art movement, known for its intense, expressive use of color, distanced itself from natural hues and instead relied on strong, contrasting colors to express emotions. In 1905, Matisse exhibited together with artists such as André Derain and Maurice de Vlaminck at the Salon d'Automne in Paris. Their works, characterized by strong, wild colors, shocked the public and led to the name “Les Fauves” (“The Wild Ones”).
One of Matisse's best-known works from this period is Woman with a Hat (1905), a portrait of his wife Amélie, which represents Fauvism in its purest form with its bold colors and reduction to flat shapes and patterns. This phase of his work is characterized by an intense search for expression through color, and Matisse becomes a pioneer of modern painting by breaking away from the naturalistic representation of the world.
Mature phase and international recognition
After the end of Fauvism in the 1910s, Matisse developed a calmer, more harmonious style of painting. During this mature phase, he intensively explored the design of space and composition. An important work from this period is Dance (1910), a large-format painting depicting a group of people in an ecstatic dance. This work testifies to Matisse's growing interest in abstraction and his ability to express movement and dynamism in a reduced form.
Matisse became increasingly internationally recognized as an artist and exhibited in the major cities of the art world. During these years, he traveled frequently, especially to the south of France and North Africa, where the light and colors of the landscapes had a strong influence on him. These impressions flow into his works and deepen his love of color as a primary means of expression.
Later years: silhouettes and monumental works
In the 1940s, when Matisse was confined to a wheelchair due to cancer, he reinvented himself once again. At this time, he developed his famous gouache découpés, a technique in which he cut colored paper into shapes and assembled them into large-format compositions. These works are characterized by an impressive simplicity and vitality, reflecting an astonishing will to live despite Matisse's physical limitations.
His series Jazz (1947) is a highlight of this late phase. The silhouettes are colourful and dynamic and symbolize themes such as the circus, dance and music. Despite the reduction to simple forms, the works convey a deep emotional power and demonstrate Matisse's ability to capture the essence of human experience.
Another monumental work is the design of the Vence Chapel (1948-1951) in the south of France, which Matisse considered to be his “masterpiece”. The chapel is a total work of art in which Matisse designed the stained glass windows as well as the murals and liturgical objects. The clear, bright colors and simple forms lend the sacred building a spiritual calm and purity that reflect Matisse's deep connection to art and life.
Late work and legacy
Henri Matisse died in Nice on November 3, 1954 at the age of 84. He remained artistically active until his death and continued to experiment with colors and shapes. His silhouettes became a symbol of his late creative power and show that Matisse was able to maintain his creative energy even in times of physical weakness.
Today, Matisse is considered one of the most important artists of the 20th century. His work not only influenced his contemporaries, but also influenced later generations of artists, particularly with regard to the liberation of color and the rejection of traditional perspective. His ability to express emotion and movement with color remains one of his greatest legacies, and his works are represented in the world's most important museums.
Exhibitions
- 21.10.2023 – 05.02.2024 Matisse: Master of Colour – The National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
- 01.12.2020 – 29.08.2021 Matisse: Life & Spirit, Masterpieces from the Centre Pompidou, Paris – Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.
- 07.10.2020 – 31.01.2021 Matisse: In the Studio – Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
- 05.05.2014 – 08.09.2014 Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs – Tate Modern, London.
Awards
- 1952 Honorary membership of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, USA
- 1927 Legion of Honor, France
Films
- Matisse from MoMA and Tate Modern, documentary, Phil Grabsky, 95 min, USA/UK, 2014.
- A Model for Matisse, documentary, Barbara Freed, 67 min, USA, 2003,
- Henri Matisse: Art and Love, documentary, 52 min, France, 2001.
Literature
- Matisse: The Life, Hilary Spurling, Penguin, London, 2005.
- Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs, Karl Buchberg, New York, MoMA Publications, 2014.
- Matisse: A Second Life, Alastair Sooke, London, 2014.
- Henri Matisse: A Retrospective, John Elderfield, New York, 1992.
Collections
France
- Paris - Centre Pompidou
- Nice - Musée Matisse
USA
- New York - Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- Washington D.C. - National Gallery of Art
Schwitzerland
- Basel - Fondation Beyeler
UK
- London - Tate Modern
