Matisse's early life and development as a painter
Matisse was born in 1869 in Le Cateau-Cambresis in northern France. His family was a merchant family that dealt in grain and other goods, and at first he aspired to become a lawyer at the request of his father, and after graduating from the Faculty of Law at the University of Paris, he began working at a law firm, but he became interested in clerking. I couldn't have it. At the age of 21, Matisse suffered from appendicitis and was forced to undergo medical treatment. While he was recuperating and had too much time on his hands, Matisse's mother gave him oil painting tools, and it was there that Matisse discovered his joy in painting.
Completely obsessed with painting, Matisse quit his law firm at the age of 23, against his father's objections, and studied at the Académie Julien, before receiving a private offer from Gustave Moreau, a teacher at the National Academy of Fine Arts. I started receiving guidance. Matisse also met Georges Rouault, who was also a student of Moreau. He also became acquainted with Albert Marche, Paul Signac, Maurice de Vlaminck, and Andre Derain, and while stimulating each other, he pursued his own style of painting.
Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris (Paris National School of Fine Arts)
Matisse's colorful paintings change
After the appearance of Impressionist painters, the development of modern art that they led began to shift to Post-Impressionism. From 1896 to around 1905, Matisse in his early years searched for his own path through a variety of trials and errors, absorbing the achievements of artists such as Realism, Impressionism, Cezanne, and Neo-Impressionism. In 1897 and 1898, he met Van Gogh and others under the guidance of John Peter Russell, who he said was the teacher who taught him color logic, and under the influence of Post-Impressionism, he began to pursue painting expressions using free color. It is said that it also became In 1904, Matisse was staying in the southern French resort of Saint-Tropez, where he regularly met with the Neo-Impressionists Signac and Cross.
However, in Matisse's work, the use of pure colors became more important than the small brush strokes that divided the colors, and he finally created what was later called Fauvism in Collioure, near the Spanish border. He created his first landscape painting.
《Luxury, Silence, Enjoyment》1904
Landscape painted in Collioure, 1905
Birth of Fauvism
The 3rd Salon d'Automne, which opened at the Grand Palais in Paris in 1905, is said to be the starting point of 20th century art in the history of art. Matisse participated here with Vlaminck and André Derain, presenting works such as ``The Woman with the Hat,'' ``The Open Window at Collioure,'' and ``Madame Matisse with Green Streaks.'' This is an unprecedented style in which he does not simply paint the colors that he sees, but freely expresses them using the colors that are within him. Their works were ridiculed by critic Jouffroy as ``like being in the cage of a fauve'' due to their seemingly unrestrained coloring and brushstrokes, and were given the name ``Fauvism.'' However, it is said that Matisse did not like being called a fauve. Matisse gradually developed a preference for stable works in rich colors.
Southern France, the evolution of style, and Matisse's maxims
Nice, Matisse Museum
Matisse was originally a traveler, and even though he was based in Paris, he often visited Nice in the south of France to experience the sparkling light of the Mediterranean Sea.
In 1917, when Matisse was 48 years old, he moved to Nice, where he developed his characteristic style of painting in an environment bathed in sunlight.
Matisse set up his studio and residence in the Hotel Regina, an apartment in the upscale residential area of Simiers, where he continued to unleash his creative soul until his death. Today, the Musée Matisse (http://www.musee-matisse-nice.org/) is located in Cimie Park, surrounded by Roman ruins and surrounded by olive trees, not far from there, with approximately 1,000 works. From the remaining works and materials, it is a place where you can not only view the works that Matisse painted in the south of France, but also experience the origins of Matisse's creativity and changes in his style.
“Still Life with Magnolia” 1941
"Yellow and Blue Interior" 1946
Illustrated book “Jazz” series
Even in his later years, at the age of 72, Matisse was diagnosed with duodenal cancer and was forced to use a wheelchair, but his passion for art remained undiminished, and he continued to create works such as the ``Jazz'' series, which began with ``cut-outs'' in which colored paper was cut out with scissors. We will create a variety of decorative works.
rosary chapel
His first religious works included the interior of the Rosary Chapel in Vence, southern France, the design of vestments for clergy, a tile painting of a Virgin and Child statue drawn using only lines, and stained glass windows with cutout motifs. I did. The bright and clear space has a level of perfection that is worthy of being called the culmination of Matisse's entire life.
Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts "Goldfish"
Matisse's style ranges from realistic to abstract, and his open compositions and unique colors and touches continue to captivate many people, both in the past and today. Matisse's art, with its uniquely French spirit, gentle spirit, clear drawings, and gorgeous colors, can be said to be a perfect encapsulation of the generous French art of ``joie de vivre.'' The essence of Matisse's art, which combines bright decorativeness and bright spirituality, seems to be summarized in the following words that Matisse himself said:
Children reenacting dance in front of MOMA's "Dance" (1909), New York
“There are always flowers for those who want to see them. - Henri Matisse”
“There is always a flower that blooms for those who want to see it.” - Henri Matisse
“What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity, devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter, an art which could be for every mental worker, for the businessman as well as the man of letters, for example, a soothing , calming influence on the mind, something like a good armchair which provides relaxation from physical fatigue. - Henri Matisse”
“What I dream of is a harmonious, pure and calm art, free from themes that disturb and darken people's minds.For all people who are mentally active, that is what businessmen are. Whether you are a deaf person or a writer, art is art that relaxes and soothes the mind, like a fine armchair that soothes the fatigue of the body. - Henri Matisse
Go to list of Matisse works
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