Henri Matisse, along with his rival Pablo Picasso, revolutionized painting in the early 20th century. Like Pierre Bonnard in my last blog post, Matisse began his career in Paris, but in 1904, he visited the south of France and fell in love with bright light and colors of the area. For several years he painted in the style known as fauvism where the painters expressed emotion with bold brushstrokes and colors.
Fauvism only lasted for a few years, but Matisse's career and fame continued to grow. He traveled to Algiers, Spain and Tangiers throughout the years and tended to alter his painting style based on what he saw in each place. He was also the victim of much criticism (one of his paintings was actually burned in effigy in Chicago in 1913).
It was the Paris-based American collectors Leo and Gertrude Stein and the notable Russian art collector Sergei Shchukin who initially began the early support for Matisse.
Still Life (1905):
A perfect example of Matisse's Fauvism work, with its heavy brushstrokes and brilliant color.
Pot of Geraniums (1912):
Into the 1910s, Matisse continued to create works using bright colors, limited detailing and strong outlines.
Odalisque, Half-Length: The Tattoo (1923):
In the 1920s, he reverted to more conventional "model" painting, depicting figures in exotic costumes in the textile-sheathed interior of his Nice studio.
Still Life with Apples on a Pink Tablecloth (1924):
Matisse spent most of the 1920s living in the Nice; he incorporated many of the ideas he gathered during his past trips to Morocco such as these clashing patterns and bold color.
Still Life with Pineapple (1924):
Woman Seated in an Armchair (1940):
This painting was confiscated by the Nazis in 1941 by the Jewish French art dealer, Paul Rosenberg. It was returned to the Rosenberg family in 1948 and sold to the writer Somerset Maugham.
Fauvism only lasted for a few years, but Matisse's career and fame continued to grow. He traveled to Algiers, Spain and Tangiers throughout the years and tended to alter his painting style based on what he saw in each place. He was also the victim of much criticism (one of his paintings was actually burned in effigy in Chicago in 1913).
It was the Paris-based American collectors Leo and Gertrude Stein and the notable Russian art collector Sergei Shchukin who initially began the early support for Matisse.
Still Life (1905):
A perfect example of Matisse's Fauvism work, with its heavy brushstrokes and brilliant color.
Pot of Geraniums (1912):
Into the 1910s, Matisse continued to create works using bright colors, limited detailing and strong outlines.
In the 1920s, he reverted to more conventional "model" painting, depicting figures in exotic costumes in the textile-sheathed interior of his Nice studio.
Still Life with Apples on a Pink Tablecloth (1924):
Matisse spent most of the 1920s living in the Nice; he incorporated many of the ideas he gathered during his past trips to Morocco such as these clashing patterns and bold color.
This painting was confiscated by the Nazis in 1941 by the Jewish French art dealer, Paul Rosenberg. It was returned to the Rosenberg family in 1948 and sold to the writer Somerset Maugham.
In the next post I will begin to show the masterpieces from the exhibition Frédéric Bazille and the Birth of Impressionism. That exhibition was the main reason for our trip to Washington DC.
The National Gallery of Art is located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets NW along Constitution
Avenue. The entrance to the East Building on 4th Street NW.
- Admission is always FREE.
- Open Monday-Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Open Sunday: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
- Closed on December 25 and January 1.
All photos in this blog post were taken by me during my visit in June, 2017. Unauthorized use is prohibited.
