Best Artwork by Henri Matisse

French Fauvist artist Henri Matisse was recognized for his use of color and unique draughtsmanship. The artist was responsible for key innovations in painting and sculpture.

Blue Nudes is a series of color lithographs that were constructed from cut-outs representing naked figures in different poses. Blue Nude IV was the first of the four nudes where Matisse settled on his favorite stance: intertwined legs and an arm stretched behind the neck. Blue Nude II was completed in 1952 and is the second of the series. The artist associated the blue color with distance and volume.

Le Bonheur de Vivre, or The Joy of Life, is a painting recognized as one of the foundations of early modernism. The artwork depicts naked ladies and men frolicking, playing music, and dancing in a brightly colored countryside. By the 1920s, this painting was recognized as a contemporary masterpiece.

The Conversation is an artwork created from 1908 to 1912. The painting depicts the artist and his wife confronting each other against a vivid blue background. This artwork was created at a time when the artist had abandoned the wide, spontaneous brushwork of his Fauvism phase in favor of a flatter, more ornamental look. In the portrait, Maisse is standing to the left in striped pajamas, while his wife, Amelie, is sitting to the right. Through the window the garden can be seen. Matisse’s pajamas were popular as leisure wear in early 20th-century France. They had been imported to Europe from India, where tea growers wore them, and Matisse wore pajamas as his studio working attire for the rest of his life.

Dance is one of the most famous works of contemporary art. The painting looks to be primitive in form and makes use of three colors, which was emblematic of the Fauvist movement. This artwork was commissioned in 1910 by a wealthy Russian collector. The painting depicts a circle of nude people dancing and holding hands against a dark blue and green background.

The Dessert: Harmony in Red is a painting created in 1908. It is regarded as one of Matisse’s masterpieces. With the general absence of a distinct focal point, this Fauvist painting follows the model established by Impressionism.

The Green Line is often referred to as Madame Matisse’s Portrait. Matisse painted his wife, Amelie Noelle Matisse-Parayre. This oil-on-canvas was created in 1905. A green stripe separates the face in half, which Matisse used to create a feeling of light, shadow, and volume without using conventional shading.

Interior with Aubergines is a patterned and vibrant painting that reflects the artist’s interest in decorative composition. (pictured above) The aubergines on the table are a visual draw, contrasting with the vivid reds, blues, and florals surrounding them. The entire scene is a celebartion of color and ornamental beauty, which was influenced by Matisse’s exposure to Islamic and North African art.

Matisse was fond of painting open windows and did so throughout his career. This oil-on-canvas, The Open Window, was completed in 1905 and displayed at the Salon d’Automne in Paris the next year. The painting depicts a scene from his apartment window looking at Collioure, on the south coast of France. Sailboats can be seen on the sea.

Still Life with Geraniums was created at a time when Matisse’s evolving style came during a period when the artist was exploring the balance between structure and decoration. The geraniums are seen on a table with everyday objects around them. Matisse reduces the forms to their essentials, using flat planes of color and minimal shading. The geranium, with its delicate leaves and red blossoms, offers a natural contrast to the more rigid, geometric lines of the table and room.

Woman with a Hat is an oil painting depicting the artist’s wife, Amelie. It was created in 1905. This artwork highlighted Matisse’s aesthetic change away from the Divisionist brushstrokes of his early artwork and turned toward a more expressive manner.