Matisse, Henri (1869–1954)

Henri Matisse is a key figure in French modernism and is considered to be the most influential colourist of 20th-century art. A French painter, sculptor, and printmaker, Matisse studied painting in Paris at the École des Beaux Arts under Gustave Moreau, the École des Arts Décoratifs, and the Académie Julian under W.A. Bouguereau. Matisse’s early paintings demonstrate a dark, somber, and dull palette and a naturalist approach to his selected themes (La liseuse, 1894). This progressively gave way to more vivid pure colors (Still Life with Oranges, 1899; Académie bleue, 1899–1900) and impressionist execution (Study of a Nude, 1899). In 1903, Matisse began to use intense pure colors, marking a break with both naturalist and impressionist traditions (Portrait d’André Derain, 1905). He inaugurated a new style that contemporary critics named Fauvism (Le Bonheur de vivre, 1905–1906). From the early 1920s, Matisse enjoyed a worldwide reputation, being famous both for his masterfully colored compositions and for the joyful atmosphere of his works, which became the hallmark of his overall artistic production. Works by Matisse can be found in most museums of modern art around the world in addition to primary displays at the Museum Matisse in Nice and in his birthplace, Le Cateau Cambrésis.