-Artist Project-Henri Matisse

By Brian Rolincik

Vital Statistics

oBorn in Le Chateau France on Dec. 31, 1856

oDied on Nov. 3, 1954

oConsidered one of the greatest painters of the 20th Century

Personal BackgroundoGustave Moreau had been his second teacher

in art

oThe post-impressionist style of Paul Cézanne, Paul Signac, and Henri-Edmund Cross also influenced Matisse

oEarly 1941 he underwent surgery for duodenal cancer

oBecause of this he was bedridden for the majority of a 2 year span, during which he found a less physically straining way to create art by brightly painting pieces of paper, then cutting and collaging them

Key Historical Events

oWWII caused him to worry about what was to become of his paintings in Russia and in occupied France

oIn 1943, there was a threat of an allied bombardment of his current residence of Nice, France

oThis caused him to move to the Villa Le Rêve which is on the outside of Vence, France

oHis time in this home was very important because he completed paintings and other important works

Influence of the Art World

oInvolved in the fauvism movement

o“Les Fauves” means “Wild Beasts”

oThis was a derogatory name given to artists who exhibited their work together in Paris, in 1905.

oThe fauvists’ style went against the normal style of the time

oA couple of his paintings in 1916 and 1917 were also influenced by cubism

Stylistic Traits

oIncludes flowing movement and elasticity of the human body

oIn many paintings Matisse depicts little to no facial expression

oBright and vibrant colors are further emphasized by lack of light and shadow

oMost pieces have no immediate meaning, leading one to think about possible symbolisms

Stylistic Traits Example Art #1

oIncludes flowing movement and elasticity of the human body

oThis painting leaves out the subjects’ expressions

oVibrant colors, which are mostly solid

oA simple scene with no apparent meaning

Dance II (1910)

Stylistic Traits Example Art #2

oShape of the subject’s body is one of the main points in this piece

oLack of any facial features

oOnly two prominent solid colors

oVague situation being depicted

Blue Nude IV (1952)

Stylistic Traits Example Art #3

oIncludes a lot of curves when forming the subject

oLack of facial features

oSimple solid colors with absolutely no accent

oScene causes one to think

Icarus (1947)

Stylistic Traits of My Original Artwork

oMany flowing lines and shapes create the subject and setting

oThe subject has no emotions or expressions depicted on their face

oThe vibrant colors sharply contrast each other

oSymbolisms lie underneath what is actually depicted

Title: Enlightenment II (2010)

Conclusion

oThat recreating an artist’s style is much more difficult than it may seem at first

oArt is fun to create

oMany artists most likely have amazing artwork that isn’t very well known

oOne of the best strengths of my original artwork is its simplicity

oOne of the weaknesses of my artwork is also its simplicity

During the duration of this project, I have learned…

Thanks! Questions?