Henri Matisse Art

Henri-Émile-Benoît Matisse (31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was an influential artist of the French descent. He was mainly active in the early 20th century, creating both paintings and sculptures. His earned his fame mainly from his paintings. Besides painting and sculpting, he was also a printmaker and draughtsman. Alongside other artists such as Marcel Duchamp and Pablo Picasso, Matisse is regarded as one of the artists whose roles defined plastic arts in the early 20th century. Their contribution provided for the development of painting and sculpting as art forms. Although he lived through different times of political calm and upheavals, his art never had any political undertones, focusing mainly on his central subjects that include landscapes and still life. Matisse owned a studio for more than 60 years, where he created art, primarily meant to provide comfort and emotional sanctuary to viewers. Matisse developed love for art after his mother bought him a few art pieces. He proceeded to the Académie Julian where he studied art. Matisse’s style was traditional at the onset and his subjects were mainly landscapes and still life. His style was earlier influenced by the works of early artists, including Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin, Antoine Watteau, and Nicolas Poussin. He was also influenced by some modern artists and Japanese art. Between 1898 and 1901, he focused on Diversionist art, which has a great expression of form. In 1904, he held an exhibition of his art at the Ambroise Vollard's gallery. Matisse’s art is characterized with bright and vivid colors. He was also a respected personality in fauvism art. He started his own museum in 1952, primarily to display his works. The museum is currently among the largest collections of his art in France. At the same time, several framed Henri Matisse art pieces are available for decor.