Who? Henri Matisse, French painter and sculptor (1869-1954)

What? The Red Studio (Oil on canvas, 64 x 51 inches) When? 1911 Where is it now? The Museum of Modern Art, New York Why is this artist/artwork important? Matisse’s The Red Studio exemplifies the artists desire to use color and pattern to express feelings or a mood and create an art that would be comforting and enjoyable.

Henri Matisse Information Sheet

--Born in 1869 in Northern France

--Parents were shopkeepers. He wasn’t interested in art as a child and his parents didn’t encourage him. They wanted him to be a lawyer. He studied law and worked in a law office for a year, but was really bored

--became sick, appendicitis, and was in bed for a year. His mom gave him some paints and he really liked to paint. Continued to study art after he was better

--In 1891, gave up practicing law and moved to Paris to study art. He went to a well-known art school (Julian Academy). His teacher (William Bouguereau) was really traditional. Painted in the way that was done for 100s of years—art should look as close to reality as possible.

--Other artists at the time were doing different things. There was lots of experimentation. One new idea that artists were exploring was with color. Art doesn’t have to show things the way they look in the real world. An artist can use color to express what he/she imagines or feels.

For example, Paul Gauguin—White Horse

--Ask the kids to look at the colors of the grass, the horses. Do you think that this is what the artist saw when he looked outside? Gauguin said that if I imagine that a horse is red, then I should paint it red. Art can be about your imagination and not just like a photograph.

Matisse hung out with artists who were exploring these ideas and started experimenting. In 1905, there was a big art exhibition featuring this new art.

--The Green Stripe (1905)—painting that Matisse showed. It is a portrait of his wife --do you think she looked like this (can show a photograph of her)

--What did he change? What does he do with the background? How do you think people reacted to the painting? Most didn’t like it. Once critic called Matisse and the other artists in the show “Fauves,” (Means “Wild Beasts)

--What about the colors? Very Bright, clashing with each other. What about the brushstrokes? Visible—slashing strokes.

Fortunately, some people did like this art and they bought it. So, Matisse could continue to paint.

After the show, Matisse changed his way of working. He no longer wanted to make paintings that were shocking. He said that art should make you feel good. Famous quote, “What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity, devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter, an art which might be...something like a good armchair in which to rest from physical fatigue.”

Harmony in Red (1908-9)

--commissioned by a wealthy Russian. What does it show? Is it an interior or exterior scene? How does he depict space? Color is flat—no shadows, no gradation of color. Simplified Shapes? Confuses your sense of space with repeated decoration (wallpaper and table cloth have the same pattern), window or a framed picture in the background?

--Interest in the effect of color on how you feel. Called it Harmony in red—happy, comforting. What would happen if you changed the color? Originally this painting was blue. He changed the color to give a different effect.

Matisse focused on creating comforting art—mostly inside scenes, no conflict, people with problems, if outdoor scene, doesn’t even show rain.

--He did lots of paintings of where he worked—The Art Studio

The Red Studio, 1911 (Museum of Modern Art, New York)

--painted a view of his studio. How do we know it is his studio? Clues: his art is in it. Also puts in objects that reappear in many of his paintngs. Does he appear in it?

--Think about his use of color. What does it make you feel? Plays with space: Can you see where the floor ends and the wall begins? (It is visible, but barely).

Matisse paints his world—the studio, over and over again. For example: The Pink Studio (1911), Corner of the Artist’s Studio (1912). What does he show in these? How are the paintings different? What’s the same?

When Matisse grew older, he could no longer hold a paintbrush. He began to make paper cut outs, which he called “painting with scissors.”

The Snail, 1953—enormous work (9 1/5 feet x 9 ½ feet)

--Same ideas of color to provide feeling and rhythm, Simple shapes

--Do you see the snail?

Died in 1954. Was 85 years old.

For more information:

Books:

Mike Venezia, Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists: Henri Matisse.

Internet Sites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matisse http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/matisse/ Images: The Green Stripe, 1905

Harmony in Red, 1908,

The Red Studio, 1911

The Pink Studio

Corner of the Artist’s Studio

The Snail

Comparative Images

Matisse in his studio

Matisse’s Wife

Gauguin, The White Horse

Bouguereau, Portrait (Mignon), 1869

Matisse Project Idea:

1. Have the kids make a picture of their “studio” (the classroom).

Materials: Brightly colored poster board or tag board (9x11”) in a couple of different colors (Note: It is less expensive to buy the large pieces and cut them to size. You can also buy double-sided poster board at Michaels, which offers the students two choices) Markers Colored Paper Paper with Patterns on it (wrapping paper works fine) Glue

--Have the students choose an aspect of their classroom to depict. They can choose any part of the classroom (one side of the room, their desk, inside their desk, the door, anything). --Tell them to choose a background color for their scene, which will give the overall feeling (this is the large poster board) --With markers have them draw their “studio” --If they want, they can cut out pieces of colored paper or wrapping paper and glue them on, to create the effect of flat areas or color and patterns that Matisse used.