Biography for Henri Matisse (1869 - 1954)

Henri Matisse Biography
Henri Matisse was a pioneer in the artworld and one of the most influential artists of the early 20th century. He is best known for his vibrant colours and being at the forefront of the Fauvist Movement. He has a unique style with subjects ranging from nudes, figures, interiors landscapes, fauna, and flowers.

Early Years
Henri Matisse was born on 31st December,1869, and was brought up in the small industrial town of Bohain-en-Vermandois in northern France. His family worked in the grain business. Initially Matisse worked as a legal clerk, going on to study for a law degree in Paris from 1887 to 1889. Upon his return he continued with law, however he decided to take up drawing too, managing to squeeze in his art before setting off to work. It was only when he became unwell at the age of 21, he began painting whilst recuperating and from then on, he knew exactly which direction he wanted to continue.

Studying Art
In 1891, Matisse moved to Paris to study art. He took direction and advice from famous, artists at well-known schools such as the Académie Julian and the École des Beaux-Arts. At this time art schools taught the traditional “academic method,” drawing from life models and copying old masters. Matisse was aware of new Post-Impressionist work of Paul Cézanne and Vincent van Gogh while living in Paris. By the mid 1890’s Matisse would begin to show his work in Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in group exhibitions in Paris. His artworks soon received some favourable attention. It was around this time he travelled to London and Corsica, and in 1898, he married Amélie Parayre, with whom he would have three children.

Breakthrough Period
By the turn of the 20th century, Matisse had come under the more progressive influence of the Pointillists, Georges Seurat and Paul Signac, known for using a formation of dots to create colours rather than traditional brush strokes. He was now starting to be considered as a more progressive artist. In 1901 he started to exhibit in group shows at Salon des Indépendants. In 1904, he held his first one-man exhibition at the gallery of dealer Ambroise Vollard.

Matisse and Fauvism
Matisse’s breakthrough came about in 1904 to 1905 during a visit to Saint-Tropez. Inspired by the colour and light painted he painted sun filled colourful canvasses. He produced, A summer in the Mediterranean village of Collioure, Open Window and Woman with a Hat during this period. He exhibited both paintings in the 1905 Salon d’Automne exhibition in Paris. In a review of the show, a contemporary art critic mentioned the bold, distorted images painted by certain artists he nicknamed “fauves,” or “wild beasts.”
Fauvism was born and Matisse was an influential part of this movement. It was a step away from representing the world realistically. Very bright colours, simplified forms, accentuating patterns and capturing the mood was at its core. Besides Matisse, other artists in the group included Andre Derain, Raoul Dufy, George Braque, other artists included Robert Deborne, Albert Marquet, Charles Camoin, Louis Valtat, Jean Puy, Maurice de Vlaminck, Henri Manguin, Othon Friesz, Georges Rouault, Jean Metzinger, and Kees van Dongen

For Matisse the simplicity, freshness, and balance came from deep thought, which characterises his work.

Later Life
In 1951, when he had just completed the last major project of his life, the Chapelle du Rosaire at Vence. Matisse stated,
"For me this chapel is the culmination of an entire working life and the flowering of a huge effort that has been heartfelt and arduous."
The only working life of an artist to match his in longevity was that of his contemporary, Pablo Picasso.

Cut-Outs
To reconcile colour with drawing, towards the end of his life Matisse created the gouache-painted cutouts. It was a way of transforming 3 D into flatness of colour into a sort of abstracting from of design. He was interested in art and decoration being the same thing and strived for serenity and purity.
In 1954 Matisse over saw the original colour Lithograph Printed by Mourlot Freres, Verve 35/36 devoted to Matisse's last works 1950 -1954