Goldfish

Goldfish have been part of European culture since the 17th century. Originally bred around 1,000 years before in China, the fish were used for decoration and as a luxury commodity. In the 19th century they were particularly popular in middle-class homes. In this painting they have been reduced to their most distinctive feature: a strong orange colour. Like three arrows they point towards the edge of the glass and the statuette of a reclining, naked woman. The work is composed out of smouldering colours, and has a melancholy and perhaps wistful air. Matisse's painting is always very much about how colours create moods. Presumably the goldfish have no allegorical significance that requires previous knowledge. Rather, they act here as symbols of something unattainable. The art historian Jack Flam has read the work as a story about a broken relationship and Matisse's yearning for love lost.