Henri Matisse was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century who fundamentally altered modern art. He began as a lawyer but took up painting in his 20s, changing styles over time from pointillism to becoming a leader in the fauvism movement. Matisse was not only a highly skilled painter but also a sculptor, printmaker, and writer. He enjoyed success and fame during his lifetime, traveling widely for inspiration and having his works purchased by prominent collectors. Matisse had a devoted family but maintained a close friendship with writer André Rouveyre. He continued working as an artist until his death at age 84.

1. Henri Matisse
(1869-1954)
Made by Irina Selivanova
RIMO-206

2. The main idea is…
… to prove that Matisse was an
all-round, curious, noble
person and a gifted artist.

3. Contents
1. Henri Matisse – a remarkable artist
2. Some surprising and amazing facts
3. From pointillism to fauvism
4. Not only a painter…
5. Success and fame
6. Henri Matisse – a family man
7. The best friend
8. A curious tourist
9. Two rivals – Matisse and Picasso
10. The last days of Henry Matisse
11. Conclusion
12. Links

4. 1. Henri Matisse – a remarkable
artist
• Henri Matisse is one of
the most influential
artists of the twentieth
century.
• His stylistic innovations
(along with those of
Pablo Picasso)
fundamentally altered
the course of modern
art and affected the art
of several generations
of younger painters. The Painter’s Family, 1911.

5. If my story were ever to be written truthfully
from start to finish, it would amaze everyone.
Henri Matisse.
2. Some surprising and amazing facts
• He was a lawyer.
• His mother encouraged him to
paint.
• He began to paint at the age of 21.
• He changed his painting style
several times.
• He was internationally popular
during his lifetime.
• After surgery in 1941, Matisse was
bedridden, nevertheless, he
continued to work from a bed in his
studio.

6. 3. From pointillism to fauvism
• Matisse began to show his
work in large group
exhibitions in Paris in the
mid-1890s.
• In 1901 he stopped exhibiting
and began submitting his art
to another style –
pointillism.
• However, Matisse had a
major creative breakthrough
in the years 1904-1905 – he
became a fauvist.

7. 3. From pointillism to fauvism
Woman with a Parasol, 1905 Asia, 1946
The difference
between
these pictures
is obvious.
However,
all his works
are exciting
and
tremendous.

8. 4. NOT ONLY A PAINTER…
 He was not only an
excellent painter, but
also a talented
sculptor, printmaker
and writer.
 That’s why we can call
him an all-round
artist.

9. 5. SUCCESS AND FAME
 After finding his own
style, Matisse enjoyed a
greater degree of success.
 He was able to travel around
the world for inspiration.
 He bought a large studio in a
suburb of Paris.
 His art was purchased by
prominent collectors such as
Gertrude Stein in Paris and
the Russian businessman
Sergei Shchukin, who
commissioned Matisse’s
important pair of paintings
Dance I and Music.
The most famous pictures –
“Dance” and “Music”, 1909-1910

10. 6. Henri Matisse – a
family man
• In 1898 Henri
Matisse, when he was
28, married Amelie
Noemie Alexandrine
Parayre, whom he used as
a model for many of his
most memorable portraits.
• Mrs. Matisse was very
devoted to her husband
and urged him to pursue
his work - work that she
recognized was a true
passion for him.
• He had 3 children: one
daughter and two sons.
The Woman with the Hat, 1905

11. 6. HENRI MATISSE – A FAMILY MAN
 Matisse told his wife: “I love
you dearly, mademoiselle; but I
shall always love painting more.”
 He also wrote to his son in
1941: “I love my
family, truly, dearly and
profoundly”.
 Sometimes their relations
were stormy, however, their
marriage was not unhappy.
 The wife helped him to work
and played an important part
in his life.
Portrait of the Artist’s
Wife, 1913

12. 7. THE BEST FRIEND
 The most beautiful
correspondence of the 20th
century – Matisse and André
Rouveyre tells the story of a
significant friendship.
 Matisse and Rouveyre met as
young students in Paris at the
end of the 1890s, but the
courses of their lives quickly
became very different.
 Only when they coincidentally
met again during the war, after
Matisse’s operation, did their
close friendship develop.
A drawing of André
Rouveyre, a French writer

13. 8. A CURIOUS TOURIST
Henri Matisse visited a
lot of countries: Great
Britain, Switzerland, Ita
ly, Germany, Algeria, S
pain, Morocco, Taiti, C
orsica, the USA and
even Russia.
The Riverbank, 1910.

14. A memorable trip
to Russia
• 1911 - Matisse arrived in
Moscow.
• He visited the Tretyakov
Gallery.
• Matisse was delighted by the
icons and declared that to
see them had been more than
worth the arduous trip.
• He spent much of his time in
Moscow frantically visiting
monasteries, churches, co
nvents, and collections of
sacred images.

15. 9. Two rivals – Matisse and Picasso
• Matisse and Picasso were competing for attention
toward their works of art.
• Matisse, being the elder, was sensitive to the fact that
despite the age difference Picasso was going to be in
competition with him not only for the patronage of the
Steins but also within the world of modern art.

16. 10. The last days of Henri Matisse
• Matisse died of a
heart attack at the
age of 84.
• Until the day of his
death, Henri Matisse
never stopped
pursuing art with a
keen and fresh eye.
• He was also one of the
select few artists in
history who achieved
acclaim and fortune
during his
lifetime, not
posthumously.

17. 11. CONCLUSION
 Matisse is a remarkable painter, an all-round person, a good
family man and a wonderful friend.
 His paintings and drawings became popular during his life time.
 His rival was Picasso but he respected him.
 He visited a lot of countries including Russia.
 He lived 85 years and is still one of the most famous and
favorable French artists.

18. 12. Links
• http://www.henri-matisse.net/biography.html
• http://www.henrimatisse.org/
• http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/2002.456.115
• http://www.renoirinc.com/biography/artists/matisse.htm
• http://www.matisse-picasso.org/