2. Vital Statistics
•December 31, 1869 –
November 3, 1954
•Male
•French – born in Bohain
(Northern France)
3. Key Personal Events
•Mother ran house paint section of family’s store
•Matisse got appendicitis and received paints as a
recovery gift
•Went to Academy Julian to study art, disliked drawing
in dark tones, wanted to brighten his paintings
•Traveled to sunny places like Mediterranean, Algeria,
saw bright patterns
•1941-Matisse diagnosed with cancer, had a surgery
that left him in a wheelchair
4. Key Historical Events
•Salon des Independants: Art exhibition in Paris in 1906
where Matisse’s use of bright, unrealistic colors were
compared to “fauves” (wild beasts) by art critic
Vauxcelles
•World War I: 1914, Henri’s paintings taken from an
exhibition in Berlin, felt fear for his country
•World War II: 1939, many German soldiers marched
into France, forcing Henri to move south. Henri’s wife
Amelie and daughter Marguerite arrested by Gestapo.
5. Stylistic Trait #1
Gouache Paper Cutouts
Sorrows of the King, 1952
Gouache: opaque water based paint that Henri used for
his cutouts
10. Conclusion
Matisse:
•French male artist in
twentieth century
•Enjoyed color, cutouts,
abstract portrayals and
repetition
•Shows that obstacles
can lead to positive
results
