Henri Matisse (1869-1954), born in France, studied law and joined his father’s business as a merchant. Then, at age 20, he suffered from appendicitis. During his recovery, Matisse’s mother brought him art supplies. He soon decided to become an artist.
As he developed his style, Matisse experimented with different ways of using color expressively. Instead of realistically recording color in a scene, he manipulated it to create a mood.
Matisse and a few other painters started using wild colors, distorted forms, loose brushstrokes, and untraditional compositions. In 1905, a French art critic named them fauves, which means “wild beasts.” Today scholars refer to this type of art as Fauvism.
In 1908 Matisse wrote, “often when I sit down to work, I begin by noting my immediate and superficial color sensations . . . I prefer to continue working on it so that later I may recognize it as a work of my mind.” In some paintings he sought excitement and energy, and in others he wanted serenity.
The woman in this portrait by Matisse has an engaging, accessible manner. Her interested expression, direct eye contact, and relaxed pose suggest that she just sat down for a chat with the viewer. But Matisse does not depict the sitter as a three-dimensional figure, as in a traditional portrait. Instead, he flattens the pictorial space.
Matisse paints the entire background blue, without any defined space or objects to suggest depth. He compresses the woman’s form by adding minimal modeling, leaving only a few shadows on her skin. He uses thick black outlines and large patterns. This transforms the figure into a series of flat, decorative shapes.
The saturated colors unify the composition with harmonious blues and reds accented with yellow. But the woman’s pose also threatens the balance of the composition. The angle and weight of her form make it look like it will topple the spindly chair at any second.
Using bold brushwork, Matisse simplifies the woman’s features, body, and clothing. He explained, “The simplest means are those which best enable an artist to express himself.”