Henri+Matisse

Biography
Henri Matisse was a famous 20th century French painter. He is known for being a leader of the [|Fauvism]movement. He was born on December 31st, 1869 in Le Cateau-Cambrésis, France. Matisse went through his life planning on studying law, however in 1890 he was bedridden for about a year due to intestinal surgeries and began to explore his favorite past time, drawing. By doing this he realized his love of the arts and switched his career path from law to art. After years of studying Matisse made his debut to the art world at the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in 1896. In 1905, once Matisse was a fully developed artist he began presenting his artworks with a group of men called Les Fauves (The Wild Ones). Matisse led Les Fauves and encouraged them to try new things and push the boundaries of art. Toward the end of his career he worked with paper cut out collages. Matisse is known for always trying something new, something out the box.

Fauvism Movement
Fauvism is a style of painting that is usually done in oil paints, containing bold colors that do not reflect the subject and rough, vivid brush strokes. Paul Gauguin's use of symbolic color during the Post-Impressionist period brought inspiration for the creation of Fauvism. Gauguin's experimentation with the relationship between color and emotion pushed younger and newer artists to experiment with color and painting. Color was no longer what was seen when looking at the object but what the artist wanted it to be for various reasons. At the beginning of the 20th century Matisse and Derain helped create and lead the Fauvism movement. Matisse, Derain, and other painters of this movement displayed their works at the Salon d'automne of 1905, which is where they originally got their name for their new painting style. This new style of painting helped these artists intensely express how they felt and evoke great emotion.

Fauvist Artworks
The Woman with the Hat, (1905), oil on Canvas

The Open Window (1905), collioure

The Joy of Life (1905-1906), oil on canvas

Collage Artworks
Snow Flowers (1951), watercolor and gouache on cut and pasted papers

Jazz (1945), paper cut out

Other Important Artworks
The Dance (1909-1910), oil on canvas

La Musique (1910), oil on canvas