Unanimously considered as one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century, Henri Matisse escapes any classification. He is one of the promoters of Fauvism, but, from a revolt of color, his art is a reflection on the line, balance, and synthesis of forms.
Artist By Accident
Henri Émile Benoît Matisse, French painter, draughtsman and sculptor, was born on December 31, 1869 in Cateau-Cambrésis and died in Nice on November 3, 1954.
Destined to become a notary's clerk, it was during a long recovery due to an appendicitis that Matisse began painting.
He once said, "[...] For me it was the paradise found in which I was completely free, tranquil, confident while I was always a little anxious, bored and worried in the different things I was made to do."
Matisse painted his first picture in 1890, at the age of 21. Two years later, he went to Paris to study at the École des Beaux-Arts, in the studio of Gustave Moreau.
In Search Of Simplicity
From his very first classes with Moreau, Matisse embarked on an insatiable quest for simplicity, both aesthetically and philosophically.
Throughout his career, the same themes can be found in his work: open windows, lounging women, his universe is one of laziness that is totally antithetical to its creator and, above all, a pretext for exploring the artistic field. "Work cures all" said Matisse.
