Henri Matisse as a Painter vs. as a Sculptor

Henri Émile Benoît Matisse was a famous Post-Impressionist painter and sculptor from Northern France. He is internationally regarded as one of the most important and influential French painters of all time and was a key figure in developing the Fauvism art movement.

Fauvism focuses on vivid and non-natural colors. Matisse is famous for his use of experimental colors and abstract Post-Impressionist portrayals of the human form. However, fewer people are aware that Matisse also applied his experimental style of self-expression to the realm of sculpture.

Whenever Matisse felt restricted as a painter, he turned to sculpture to express his thoughts and emotions. The following is a look into some of Matisse’s most famous paintings and sculptures and some of the characteristics that make them so unique.

La Danse (Painting)

When it comes to famous Matisse artist paintings, La Danse or simply The Dance in English is perhaps the greatest example of Matisse’s Fauvist style and ideas. It consists of five naked and abstract figures holding hands while dancing together in a circle, and is certainly amongst the most famous Matisse paintings.

Being that it is a Fauvist painting, the people within are painted in a deep red color, while the background is steeped in a shade of vivid blue. Due to the nature of the color and body positions of the dancers, some people see the painting as people swimming instead of dancing.

Whatever it may look like to you, La Danse is ultimately a representation of freedom, and freedom comes in many forms. It represents rejoicing in life and the abandonment of boundaries. The painting symbolized modern art and marked a turning point in Matisse’s career.

Study of Puget’s L’Écorché (Sculpture)

The Study of Puget’s L’Écorché is one of Henri Matisse’s most well-known sculptures. It is a study into the anatomical dimensions of the male body and showcases an armless man in a distorted pose. However, the history of the sculpture runs much deeper than just this.

The Study of Puget’s L’Écorché is Matisse’s dedication to the great French sculptor Pierre Puget. Like Michelangelo, Puget was one of the finest sculptors of his time, and Matisse held great admiration for the Renaissance master.

L’Écorché means flayed in English, a term for someone who has been whipped and beaten until the skin has been removed. In Puget’s case, this is simply a study of the human anatomy that lies under the skin. However, Matisse takes this one step further and adds an element of pain and anguish to the nature of this abstract piece.

Le Bonheur de Vivre (Painting)

Étude Pour ‘Le Bonheur De Vivre – Henri Matisse

Le Bonheur de Vivre is one of Matisse’s most recognizable paintings, but it is also one of the most important and influential paintings of the entire modernist movement. This is because it holds many elements that the movement would soon become famous for within it.

Translated as The Joy of Life in English, Matisse’s artistic genius is on full display here. The vibrancy of color and flowing forms create an impression of awe and intrigue. The painting has also been referred to as Matisse’s garden of Eden and, just like many artists before him, takes inspiration from the Christian myth.

The painting portrays several nude male and female figures living freely and unabashed within nature. Some play music, while others dance in a similar fashion to that in Matisse’s La Danse painting. The rest of the figures are either simply relaxing or embracing one another. The abstract nature of the piece is similar to that of Picasso’s work, and it is easy to see the similarity between the two.

La Serpentine (Sculpture)

The sculpture of the Serpentine is considered by many to be Matisse artist’s most skillful and eclectic sculpture in his entire collection. On the one hand, it can be seen as just another one of Matisse’s portraits of the female form. While on the other hand, its African, Amazonian, and even Japonisme influence are clear to see.

Matisse blends this variety of global influences beautifully into one distinct and abstract sculpture. Like much of Matisse’s other work, the sculpture depicts the nude figure of a woman as she leans against a post and suggestively places a finger in her mouth.

Matisse lived when conservative values were being challenged, and many artists of the period portrayed heavy nudity in their artwork. The sculpture was inspired by a photograph from a magazine showing a naked woman in a similar pose. However, Matisse distorted the image, giving the sculpture long slender appendages, hence the name La Serpentine.

Woman with a Hat (Painting)

Woman with a Hat, or La Femme au Chapeau as originally known in French, is another of Matisse’s most famous drawings. It is just one of many paintings Matisse would dedicate to his wife Amelie during the course of his artistic career.

The painting is a classical portrait of sorts and an excellent early example of Matisse’s Fauvist ideals. The painting is bold, bright, colorful, and over the top. It was the cause of some controversy during its release and received criticism resulting in the naming of the Fauvist movement, which in French means wild animal. 

The brushstrokes within are indeed wild and expressive, while its rough, seemingly unfinished quality starkly contrasts mainstream art of the time. For these reasons, it is understandable why critics were skeptical at first; however, like all great art, its genius would eventually be appreciated by the masses.

Conclusion

While you check out Henri Matisse’s drawings and sculptures, two themes stand out. For one, Matisse absolutely adored color and experimented with it. He also truly loved the freedom of self-expression being an artist provided. This list is but a mere fragment of his larger body of beautiful artwork.