Posted by on Jul 26, 2011 in Major Artists | 0 comments

Henri Matisse Posters and Prints

Henri Matisse Posters and Prints

 

French painter, draughtsman, sculptor, printmaker and designer born in 1869. Unlike many other artists who started painting as children, he discovered his passion for art quite late in life. Still he became on of the major and more innovative artists of the 20th century.

Matisse was the son of a trader and never showed any interest in art. While studying law he was looking for a hobby he attended some drawing classes. When he was 20 he got appendicitis and as he was forced to stay at home to recover he spent many house painting.  When he got better he gave up law studies and went to Paris to study painting.

In winter 1889 Matisse took up painting during a prolonged period of convalescence from appendicitis. He abandoned law and obtained his father’s grudging permission to study painting in Paris. He attempted an  entrance exam at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts but failed the first attempt, he managed to pass it when he was 26. He worked for Gustave Moreau’s studio, who was a professor at the school, for the following 3 years. Moreau’s teaching improved his technique by making Matisse copy Old Masters. Matisse’s first original paintings were mostly still life  which were not particularly innovative

Just when he was starting to become successful with his still lives, Matisse started to experiment first by copying  some of the techniques found in Impressionism paintings which was at the time still a fairly innovative style. The first paintings he created  using more modern techniques were not received well by the critics.

In  1898 Matisse married Amélie Noémie Parayre although he already had one daughter with another woman, on their honeymoon they went to London where he had the opportunity to admire the work of     J. M. W. Turner, then they move to Corsica and the South of France where their son was born. In these places Matisse could practice his techniques of landscape paintings. When he went to Paris the family was in a dire financial situation, Matisse’s wife was not well enough to continue to work as a milliner  and Matisse had to do some odd jobs to support his family which soon increased when they had another son.

At the same time together with a few young painters he started a movement called Fauvism, les fauves in French means the beast, which was trying to use colors as  a way of expression. For Matisse the entire composition of the picture including its colors was expressive.  In this years he created one of his most innovative paintings of that time The Joy of Life which he exhibited in 1906, the painting shocked people but made Matisse a lot better known and therefore able to sell his paintings. Slowly his work started to be exhibited and appreciated outside France and his improved financial situation meant that he was able to travel to Algeria, Italy and Germany to look for more inspiration. Matisse was also able to rent a larger studio at the  Boulevard des Invalides, and to buy a house for his family, things were looking good.


Dance by Henri Matisse 24×36 inch

Soon after Matisse started to move away from Fauvism to concentrate on one of his earlier passions: painting the human figure. He was much inspired by the art of Paul Gauguin but also Cezanne’s.  This was the time when he created his famous Dance which could already be seen in the painting   The Joy of Life of a few years before.  He produced several similar compositions on commission while he was also inspired by Cubism and its leader Pablo Picasso. In those years he travelled a lot, first to Spain to look at Moors arts and architecture then to Russia and  later on in 1912 to Morocco. Matisse started to paint very large and colorful paintings partly as a reaction to Cubism and partly inspired by the art he had encountered in his travels. In the next few years Matisse painted some of his best work but he also created many etchings and bought a press for his studio.

Matisse volunteered to join the army as soon as World War I started but as he was already 45 years old he was rejected, therefore he went back to Paris to paint.  From 1917 though he spent more and more time in Nice so much that soon was only spending 3/4 months a year in Paris. He also spent more time painting and drawing women and still lives that were the subjects he has always liked. He also spent more and more time creating sculptures. By the end of the 1920s Matisse had basically given up painting while creating many etchings and lithographs.

 

Icarus (from Jazz), c.1943 Styles Art Poster Print by Henri Matisse, 24×32

Art.com is the world’s largest retailer of art prints, posters, photographs, and framed artwork. With our huge selection of over 400,000 prints, you’ll easily find the perfect piece for your home, office, or classroom. Our art is printed on quality paper. When you order framed artwork, the piece is…

Open Window, Collioure, 1905 Art Poster Print by Henri Matisse, 20×24

Open Window, Collioure, 1905 is digitally printed on archival photographic paper resulting in vivid, pure color and exceptional detail that is suitable for any museum or gallery display. Finding that perfect piece to match your interest and style is easy and within your budget!

In the 1930s Matisse travelled first to Tahiti  and then to New York two places which inspired him immensely, he was also busy working with several major commissions going from etchings for books to large murals. He briefly started to paint again unfortunately in 1941 he underwent an operation for a tumour which left him unable to travel and he stayed in the hills above Nice creating his last works. In these years he also went back to painting again concentrating a lot on the female figure. This was also the time when he created his famous cutout called “Jazz”  During the Second World War, afraid of bombing he moved to Vence where he had the opportunity to work on a few large murals, especially those of  the Chapelle du Rosaire de Vence, which kept him occupied for years. Soon after he finished these murals, Matisse died in 1951. Together with Pablo Picasso he is still considered one the most innovative and important artists of the 20th century, most of Matisse’s work has that special qualities that makes it wonderful as prints or posters in any living space or office.

Nu Bleu I, c.1952 Art Poster Print by Henri Matisse, 28×40

Nu Bleu I, c.1952 is digitally printed on archival photographic paper resulting in vivid, pure color and exceptional detail that is suitable for any museum or gallery display. Finding that perfect piece to match your interest and style is easy and within your budget!

Matisse in Morocco: The Paintings and Drawings, 1912-1913

No description available


Comments are closed.