The Dance
Shchukin ordered Henri Matisse‘s panel “Dance” (together with “Music”) to decorate the stairs of a Moscow townhouse. It was exhibited at the autumn Salon before being sent to Russia, having caused a scandal: the coordinators and audience called the artist crazy, and the customer got it, who was accused of collecting garbage.
Gustave Moreau, Matisse’s mentor, predicted that the student would “simplify painting.” The technique of simplifying and schematizing figures, in which one line conveys the shape of the figure, is obvious in “Dance.” The painting depicts a round dance of five naked people dancing on the top of a hill while holding hands. The bright tone of three colors—red, blue, and green—enhances the viewer’s impression of the massive canvas and conveys a sense of dynamics. The paints are implemented in large areas, tracing them with clear contours, and the artist refuses to model the volumes and convey the depth of space in black and white.
The Pink Nude Woman
There was a time when Matisse’s naked female body became a constant subject. However, the artist himself made the following conclusion: “A nude figure fascinates me much more than a still life or landscape.
For example, sitting or lying in bizarre sensual poses, according to the same odalisques.
Pink Nude Woman was created in a unique way. In this case, we have in front of us a massive, reduced to its most basic forms, female body that takes up almost the entire canvas. Lydia Delektorskaya, a Russian emigrant, posed for Matisse for this piece of art— firstly as Madame Matisse’s companion, then as the artist’s assistant, and finally as his model and lover.
She was the one who took the 22 photographs depicting the various stages of the master’s work on this picture, including the process of searching for composition and the transformation of forms. Matisse originally envisioned ” Pink Nude ” in a more realistic manner, as evidenced by these photographs.
The Music (Two Ladies)
Sergei Shchukin commissioned this painting from Matisse and hung it in his mansion next to the Dance. This masterpiece was created by the author without any special preparations, that is, on the spur of the moment. Henri intended for this image to demonstrate how a person can completely immerse himself in the process of creating a work of art. He also wanted to express his feelings and passion for music and painting. It is very simple to look at this picture, thanks to Matisse’s ability to create art that is understandable to the general public. If you stare at the image for a long time, you can hear the music played by these lovely ladies.
The colors are surprisingly well balanced, there are many vertical and horizontal lines, and many shapes are scattered across the canvas, but they do not interfere with or merge with one another.
This image does not frighten, but rather conveys a sense of calm and harmony. Henri Matisse’s goal, it appears, was to create a simple, clean, and enjoyable artwork. It’s also worth noting that this image will allow the viewer to unwind.
The lady in the hat
This is the painting that established Matisse’s reputation. The piece of art that started Fauvism.
It debuted at the Salon de Paris in 1905. The audience was both amazed and frustrated by the artist’s individual liberty with a wide color gamut. The model’s yellow-blue-green face was too far from reality, and the portrait is supposed to express as much of the model’s image as possible. And these wild, screaming-sharp colors, which appear to be completely incompatible with one another but create some amazing harmony. It was strange, complicated, and repulsive.
Matisse brings a new aesthetic perception of artistic works with this painting, as well as a new harmony of color combinations not previously seen in painting.
“Was that something that could be done?” – the artists opined, and they began to create frantically in this wild style.
The Goldfish
Another absolutely charming canvas from the Pushkin Museum’s collection. Take a close look at it! Is there anything in the painting that makes you wonder? Then keep reading.
The painting depicts a simple plot—a section of either a balcony or a flower greenhouse, with a red fish aquarium in the center.
We’re looking at the table. We see it as beautifully round as the table appears from above, but the leg-at this angle-should not be visible. And we look at the aquarium from the side, rather than the top, as we should have done with the table image. Matisse also ignores perspective in this painting, but who can be perplexed by that?
How did he achieve this? Pay attention to the round leaves in the upper part of the image and how perfectly they echo the flower bush in the lower right corner, the aquarium, the table, and the decorative element on the table leg are all round, and the grid is made up of ovals with fish and plant leaves next to them. As a result, the artist achieves the same state of calm contemplation and peace that we experience when viewing a real aquarium.
Despite the cacophony of colors, this image does not irritate the eyes in the least. It’s incredible. This is Matisse’s legacy, the sharp turn in painting that he made.
PS: If you find yourself falling in love with a specific picture, I recommend purchasing high-quality canvas prints. You will save a lot of money, whereas by receiving a high-quality product.
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