Matisse’s Morocco The Studiowith Exploring Color + Light ART HIST RY KIDS
WEEK 2 Artist quote to ponder
“It is not enough to place colors, however beautiful, one beside the other; colors must also react on one another. Otherwise, you have cacophony.” –Henri Matisse
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LET’S MEET THE ARTIST
Full name: Henri Émile Benoît Matisse Henri Matisse Born: December 31, 1869 Died: November 3, 1954
Henri Matisse didn’t make much art as a child. He grew up and became a law clerk. But everything changed in 1889. At the age of 20, he had appendicitis. During his recovery he was confined to his bed for months. His mother brought him an array of art supplies to help pass the time, and that was it for Matisse! He discovered he had a passion for art, and it wasn’t long before he left the legal world to become an artist.
His style changed throughout his career, and he was a leader of the Fauvist movement! He was friends with many famous artists, and he had a complicated relation- ship with Picasso. They respected each other greatly, but were always competing to see who was the better artist. Their friendly rivalry probably made them both better artists! When Picasso was an old man looking back on his life, he declared, "All things considered, there is only Matisse."
Matisse spent most of his life in France, but he traveled to a few far away places, including Italy, Germa- ny, and Spain. It was during two trips to North Africa that Matisse transformed the way he approached his art. He took the Fauvist foundation he had created and built it into something more vibrant, full of pattern, and drenched in Morocco’s gorgeous bright light.
“Working before a soul-stirring landscape, all I thought of was making my colors sing, without paying any heed to rules and regulations.”
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WHY DID MATISSE GO TO MOROCCO? The story behind the trip... Matisse visited Tangier twice. His friend Albert Marquet (also a painter) told Matisse tales of the amazing light and color that he had enjoyed during his visit. Matisse was also intrigued by the paintings Eugene Delacroix made during his trip to Morocco.
Matisse decided he must see the color and light of North Africa for himself. He left Marseilles and set off for an artistic adventure of his own in Tangier. He was excited to experience the exotic landscape, the intriguing architecture, and the people and places that were so visually compelling.
During his voyage aboard the SS Ridjani in late January, 1912, Matisse wrote to his daughter Marguerite back in Paris: “On a slightly rough sea, but of the purest blue, the ship glides without rocking or pitching. On the left, the horizon is lined with a few clouds; on the right, by the mountains of the Spanish coast. The mountains, which were not very high yesterday, today are elevated enough to be covered with snow. Obviously, the mood was good. We have had a quiet crossing, we have eaten well, slept well. We are arriving at Tangier much earlier than we thought we would, considering the state of the sea, that is to say at one o'clock instead of four."
When Matisse arrived, he was met with a torrential downpour of rain that seemed like it would never end! Frustrated with the weather, he couldn’t begin working on his art. He stayed in his hotel and wrote to his friends- messages filled with anxiety about whether he should stay or return home. No one in Tangier had ever seen so much rain... and it lasted for so long! In postcards he sent to friends in France, he called the trip a ‘misadventure.’
Finally, the sun appeared, and Matisse was delighted with the exotic landscapes, architecture, and people that he encountered. He explored the city and the surrounding gardens and painted what he saw. Matisse wanted to see more! He returned to Tangier the following winter, and during the two trips combined he produced 23 paintings and 65 pen and ink draw- ings– half of which were instantly purchased by his two biggest patrons. Much of the Moroccan art currently resides in the collections of the State Hermitage The city of Tangier viewed from the Sultan’s Palace Museum in Leningrad and the State Pushkin Museum (early 20th century). Photo credit: Library of Congress of Fine Arts in Moscow.
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ART MOVEMENTS
Fauvism 1899-1908 Fauvism was a short-lived art movement, but one that was very important in the scope of art history. Fauvist artists questioned the role that color played in their art. Rather than using color to show the viewer what something looked like in real life, these painters used colors to describe the feeling of a thing, a place, a person, or their own personal relationship with their subject. Color could also be used symbolically. Fauvist art was usually very brightly colored. They cast aside the pale pastels that the Impressionists loved in favor of vibrant hues. Les Fauves means “wild beast” in French... and it was meant as an insult. People who attend- ed the exhibition where this style of art was first displayed recalled hearing laughter when the paintings were seen. But Matisse took it as a compliment. He said, “From the moment I held the box of colors in my hands, I knew this was my life. I threw myself into it like a beast that plunges toward the thing it loves.” More Fauvist Painters...
(1860-1938) (1880-1954) (1876-1958)
Marianne von Werefkin André Derain Maurice de Vlaminck
Self-Portrait, 1910 Charing Cross Bridge, 1906 Houses at Chatou, 1905
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ELEMENTS OF ART
Color Seek the strongest color Matisse is probably most famous for his innovative and “ effect possible... the content bold use of color. Look again at is of no importance. three of this month’s featured paintings. What do you notice about the colors here? Are they realistic? Are When I put a green, it is not they simplified? Perhaps they’ve been changed to produce a greater emotion- “ grass. When I put a blue, it al impact upon the viewer? What kind is not the sky. of emotional impact do you experience when you see these colors together? –Henri Matisse
[Dive deeper! Check out this archived lesson where we talked more about Matisse’s use of color.]
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ELEMENTS OF ART Value
In art, we use the word ‘value’ to describe the relative lightness or darkness of an object. Value gives art contrast and makes the image more powerful than it would be if all of the objects were mid-toned. It’s exciting to see bright white and deep black on the same page and notice the dynamic duality they bring to a work of art. Intense natural light (like the light found in Morocco) provides inspiration and environments that are wonderful for creating artwork. One of the main reasons Matisse traveled to Morocco was to experience the light for himself. He's written about the importance of light in his work... “ A picture must possess a real power to generate light and for a long time now I've been conscious of expressing myself through light or rather in light.
–Henri Matisse
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LOOKING CLOSER AT THE ART About the art Window at Tangier, 1912
Matisse LOVED to paint the view through windows. This was a recurring theme throughout his life. Paintings like this give us a fun opportunity to have the experience of being on the inside and looking out onto the world beyond the room we’re in.
Things to note:
The flat perspective- it’s new and modern!
The featured North African architecture, including the repetition of the windows.
The silhouetted images of people on the winding pathway give us a sense of scale.
The importance of the window sill that acts as a divider between inside and out with two flower vases. The vases and the flowers each have their own unique character.
Color! Look at the contrast between the deep blue and the light yellow. (And the absence of almost any other colors.) Notice how the blue of the sky merges with the blue of the land.
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LOOKING CLOSER AT THE ART About the art Zorah on the Terrace, 1912
It was very difficult for Matisse to find a female model to paint in Morocco. According to local customs, women were not allowed to pose for an artist such as Matisse, or even to uncover their face in his company. Matisse asked for help from local French business owners, and they were able to connect Matisse with Zorah- a 12-year-old girl who was able to model for paintings.
Things to note:
Did you notice the goldfish? Why are they here? Some people think it’s simply because Matisse loved goldfish and he needed a way to balance the yellow color in the top left corner.
Some people have commented that the painting seems unfinished because Matisse didn’t completely paint her hands.
Matisse was intrigued by the clothing he saw in Morocco– he especially loved the patterns in the fabric.
Look at the light as it changes the color of the back terrace wall and the yellow design on Zorah’s clothes.
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LOOKING CLOSER AT THE ART About the art Entrance to the Kasbah, 1912
This vintage postcard shows the same entrance!
In Morocco, a kasbah is a group of buildings that are protected behind a defensive wall – usually it’s a kind of fortress that protects the nobility. Let’s look closer at the way Matisse paints the Entrance to the Kasbah.
Things to note:
Look at how many variations of blue Matisse uses! They range from dark shadowy blue to bright sunshine lit blue!
There’s a kind of intrigue here as we look through keyhole opening to see what lies ahead beyond the grand wall. The bold red pathway leads our eye in.
The dynamic black line work adds a gestural sketch-like feel to the art. Notice how the figure on the left side of the entrance is so loosely drawn.
Look at the dramatic contrast of light and shadow.
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LOOKING CLOSER AT THE ART About the art What is a triptych? A triptych is a set of three paintings that are meant to go together. (The word comes from the Greek ‘three-fold’ because sometimes the panels would be hinged together.) You may have noticed that three of this month’s featured paintings go really well together. Although Matisse didn’t originally plan it this way, he presented these three paintings together as a triptych. Now that you see them side by side (by side) look at the way the images add to each other by being displayed together. Make a few notes at the bottom of this page about your observations. Do you see repetition? Where? How do the colors work together? What else do you notice?
Notes:
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LOOKING CLOSER AT THE ART About the art Periwinkles / Moroccan Garden, 1912
Matisse always loved to paint nature and especially flowers. This painting is called Periwinkles because of the tiny purple flowers seen in the bottom half of the art. Let’s look at some of the interesting things Matisse has done in this painting.
Things to note:
Matisse painted this in the garden of Villa Brooks.
The energy here is really dynamic because of the bending trees and the swirling plants. The art may look spontaneous, but Matisse carefully sketched the composition underneath the painting.
There’s a bold contrast between the vivid green and the red sky. These colors are complimentary so they create lots of energy when they are placed next to each other.
The visible brushstrokes add texture to the painting as well as depth– because they bring in areas of contrasting light and dark.
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LOOKING CLOSER AT THE ART About the art Moroccan Cafe, 1912-1913 Things to note: This painting originally had a lot more detail! Matisse simplified the composition to make it much more minimal and iconic... almost abstract. The figures seem to float on solid color floor Many art curators consider this that only has one shadow, but their gestural poses give us a feeling for the cafe environment. painting to be the most iconic of all A friend of Matisse wrote about how the painting originally looked: “These recumbent figures, the art Matisse created in Moroc- all in the same gray nuance, such a soothing gray, whose faces are represented by a yellow- co– a true masterpiece. In letters ocher oval, you know that they were not always painted like that. Look! At the top, the man about the trip, this place is on the left, he was red! The other, next to him, was blue; the other was yellow. Their faces described as being in a dangerous had lines, eyes, a mouth. The one at the top smoked a pipe. In examining the bottom of the neighborhood, but being very picture, one discovers the traces of what was formerly a line of slippers.” welcoming once you entered. There were rugs covering the floors, groups of friends playing cards, and music filling the air. One corner was reserved for European visitors. Let’s look closer...
Look at the border Matisse painted here. It really ties the whole painting together with a unified color palette that relates back to the people in the cafe.
The rhythm of the gate gives us the feeling of the rhythmic music that was heard in the cafe.
Matisse choose variations of complimentary colors again– this time pairing blue and orange.
The scattered figures range in size, giving us the feeling of a foreground and a background.
We can see a few other things here: flowers and fish (again).
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THE ART OF SEEING Exploring Value
Finding your highlights and shadows!
Look around the room you’re in right now. Do you see things that are light and bright? Do you see things that are deep dark colors? How about things that have both? Have you ever noticed how the color of some- thing changes when you shine a flashlight on it? Or when a bright ray of sunshine comes in through a window? What happens? It gets lighter! Now look again at what happens when you turn off a light or close the curtains. What happens to Sometimes we stop really the color then? It gets darker! seeing the full value scale. We get used to the things we see all the time. Take a moment now to notice the bright things and the dark things in your environment. If you squint your eyes as you look around, it helps to 01 02 03 differentiate the light and dark objects and pushes You can do this with paint, The goal of the value scale is to As an alternative, you the middle value things to but a pencil or charcoal will transition smoothly from white to can make each one side or the other of be easier. Gather your black. Start by using very light piece separately, cut the value scale. You can materials: a piece of paper pressure and gradually pressing them out, and then and the medium of your harder and harder as you move glue them side by make a value scale of choice. along your scale. side. your own on paper!
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NOW IT’S YOUR TURN... Week 2 Project of the Month
Build your triptych.
Last week you painted a portrait. Now you know that three of Matisse’s paintings were displayed as a triptych, and you might like to try the same thing! What if you used your portrait from last week’s project as the center image, and created two additional works of art to make a triptych?
Use this week to paint one of the images that will go on either side.
Let’s use Entrance to the Kasbah as our inspiration. Is there an interesting place you can use as the subject of your art? It might be a place you visited in the past and you took a photo there. Maybe it’s a place you saw in a book or a magazine? Or maybe it’s someplace you can visit in real life! Think about the idea of painting through a doorway or gate. What is in the foreground... what is back in the distance? If you want to play with Matisse’s style, use black sketchy line work in your art! And remember to think carefully about your colors!
Colors for impact and consistency. Matisse used a similar color palette across all three of the triptych paintings to tie them together, Consider this: but each work of art can stand on its own. Look at the way he uses Something to consider color here. Besides white and black, we really only see three colors. as you make your art... Lots of blue, a medium amount of red, and a little bit of a brownish orange color. Will you use a minimal palette like this in your art?
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