Matisse (Twentieth Century Masters)

The most sensual artist and the greatest colourist of the twentieth century, Henri Matisse was leader of the Favism movement in Paris, subsequently engaging with both Cubism and the decorative and spiritual art of Islamic cultures before the first World War. In the 1920s, his 'Odalisques' responded to European fantasies of 'Oriental splendor' while during the next decade, classical themes of nymphs, fauns and the dance were re-explored in the splendid and sober Barnes murals, illustrations to Mallarme and James Joyce. Matisse experimented with sculpture, including the increasingly abstract, monumental 'Back' series throughout this period. His near death in 1941 heralded a spiritual rebirth and a re-examination of the roots of French art in his romanesque and medieval heritage. The invention of the paper cut-out, 'cutting directly into colour', led to monumental decorative compositions by 1950. Matisse's skills as both a decorative artist and a man of profound spirituality were realized in the interior design and the liturgical effects of the Dominican Chapel of the Rosary at Vence. His legacy to artists in Europe and America was immediate: each subsequent artistic generation has had to measure itself against Matisse's achievement.