Nu Bleu I

Henri Matisse (31 December 1869 - 3 November 1954) was a French painter, graphic artist, sculptor and leading exponent of modern art. Known for his masterful use of colour and his innovative formal language, he is considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century alongside Pablo Picasso. Matisse was one of the founders of Fauvism, a style characterised by bright, expressive colours and simplified forms. His art moved between the poles of intense colour explosion and calm, decorative harmony.

Henri Émile Benoît Matisse was born in Le Cateau-Cambrésis in northern France and grew up in a wealthy family. He originally studied law and began a career as a lawyer. However, after suffering from appendicitis in 1890, during which he discovered painting as a means of recovery, he decided to become an artist. Matisse moved to Paris, where he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts under Gustave Moreau. There he learnt about the works of old masters and contemporary art, which had a decisive influence on his development.

Matisse developed a preference for colour as a central means of expression early on. Around 1905, together with artists such as André Derain and Maurice de Vlaminck, he began a revolutionary style of painting that later became known as Fauvism. The Fauves (‘the savages’) rejected realistic colouring and perspective and instead used intense, unmixed colours and simplified forms to express emotions directly. Works such as Woman with a Hat (1905) and The Dance (1910) were created during this period and marked the high point of Fauvism.

After the Fauvism phase, Matisse experimented with different styles, from decorative patterns to more classical compositions. He travelled to countries such as Morocco, Algeria and Spain, whose colours, lighting conditions and ornamentation had a lasting influence on him. His travels enriched his art with new cultural and aesthetic impressions, which became visible in works such as View of Notre-Dame (1914) and The Moroccan Landscape (1912).

In the 1940s, as his health declined, Matisse turned to a new technique: gouaches découpées, coloured paper collages. These works, in which he cut shapes with scissors and paper, enabled him to continue working creatively despite his physical limitations. Works such as Ikarus (1943) and Der Schneckenweg (1953) are among his best-known works from this late phase. The works on paper show a combination of bold simplicity and lively dynamism.

In addition to his paintings and collages, Matisse also designed spaces and works of art for architectural projects. The Chapelle du Rosaire in Vence (1948-1951), a work that he described as the ‘masterpiece of my life’, is particularly well known. Matisse not only designed the stained glass windows and wall decorations here, but also liturgical objects and furniture that represent his vision of a harmonious combination of art and spirituality.

Henri Matisse died on 3 November 1954 in Nice. His work continues to shape the history of art to this day thanks to his ability to combine colour, form and light in an incomparable way. His works can be found in the world's most important museums and have influenced numerous generations of artists, from abstract painters to designers. Matisse remains a central figure in modern art and a master of joie de vivre who was able to find profound beauty even in the simplest of forms.