Matisse is considered to be one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. He was a painter, sculptor, and a draughtsman. Interestingly enough, Matisse wasn’t always an artist. He started his career as a lawyer, and only became interested in studying art when he was 21. He studied at multiple academies in Paris, starting in 1891. After his studies, he began experimenting with unseen brushwork patterns, and color, to create the masterpieces we know him for today. He was inspired by many artists like manet and Suerat whose influences are prevalent in his later work. He used bright colors and uneven lines to create his own subgenre of art, called Fauvism.
The work I selected is called Dance (I). It depicts a circle of naked women dancing around, joined by the hands to form a circle. There are only 4 colors recognizable in the painting. The women are very loosely detailed, especially on their faces, adorned with simple lines representing eyes, nose, and mouth. They have some lines on their bodies depicting the indent on the middle of the back, or the butt, or simple half-circles making up their breasts. The two very forefront women are not quite holding hands, though it looks as if one of the women is falling down and reaching out to the person next to her, almost akin to Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam.
This work reflects the aesthetic characteristics of modernism because of its uncanny-ness. Before Matisse, there was not an artist that was playing with composition and color in the way of matisse. It is truly modern art. I think Matisse specifically fits this genre so well because of the way his work shifted with the times. His earlier work is very academic, and derivative. However he truly came into his own which is why he is one of the forefront artists of this movement.
I encountered this piece towards the end of my visit. I hadn’t seen anything that really struck me that I wanted to write about and was going to just settle for something I knew would fit into the criteria. I have always been a fan of Matisse and impressionism as a whole so once I saw this piece I knew I wanted to write about it. I was so drawn to this piece specifically because of the simplicity. Basically no shading or detail anywhere however it was still able to invoke a reaction from me. At first glance, one doesn’t really think much of it, but after looking for a while, within the large spaces of one color you can see each brush stroke, which adds so much depth to it. I do still have questions about this piece. Why did he choose to omit all details? Why are two of the women not holding hands like the rest? However it is important to note I think what makes this piece so significant is the multitude of ways it can be interpreted.
Jessie – Thanks for this post. I have always loved this painting – the vibrancy of the colors, the idea of women in a circle….something about it has always called to me. Your question made me think about the two figures who are not holding hands. To me, it gives the painting a sense of movement, but also of yearning, since it feels like those two women are reaching towards each other.