Henri Matisse

Originally studying law, Henri Matisse later turned to painting and trained at the Académie Julian and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Matisse became one of the most influential artists of the 20th century and a leader of the Fauvist movement. Over his long career, he lived and worked in various parts of France and also spent significant time in Nice and Vence, where his later work, including the famous paper cut-outs, was created.

Matisse is best known for his bold use of color, fluid lines, and decorative compositions. As a founder of Fauvism, he embraced pure, vibrant color as a means of expression rather than representation. His work often depicted still lifes, nudes, interiors, and Mediterranean landscapes. In his later years, he pioneered a new technique called “cut-outs” or “gouaches découpées,” creating large-scale compositions by cutting painted paper into abstract shapes and arranging them into dynamic forms. Matisse’s art emphasizes joy, harmony, and balance, often described as visual poetry.

Some of Matisse’s most iconic works include Woman with a Hat (1905), The Joy of Life (1905–06), The Red Studio (1911), Dance (1910), and Blue Nude II (1952). His career was marked by numerous solo exhibitions and retrospectives, including major shows at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, Tate Modern in London, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. In 2014, MoMA and Tate Modern jointly organized the groundbreaking exhibition Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs, showcasing his late-period paper works and reaffirming his enduring influence on modern art.