Matisse

The exhibition is arranged chronologically in eight sections which outline different phases of Matisse's evolution and development as an artist The following notes have been prepared to assist students in identifying key works and themes in the exhibition.

The journey

The theme of the journey is important in considering Matisse's artistic responses to such destinations as Morocco, Nice and the South of France, Tahiti and America. Matisse was a painter intensely aware of colour and light and different locations and geographical circumstances played a vital role in his art.

Lessons from the past

Matisse's early years as an artist were spent in concentrated study of the art of European masters. The Louvre was recommended by his teacher, Gustave Moreau, as a resource from which to study and learn from the techniques of the old masters. Matisse made careful copies of master works in the Louvre, not to imitate them but to learn from them.

Seeking the self: From the O Louvre to Pointillism (1896—99)

In addition to copying master works in the Louvre, Matisse also trained in academic drawing and studied the human figure. His later developments and sometimes radical experiments with colour and the human form could not have evolved without this traditional, academic training and understanding. The tradition of still-life painting fascinated Matisse and his Still life with black knives c.1896 is an example of his academic approach. First orange still life 1899 and Still life with oranges (II) c.1899 represent a departure from the academic tradition and reflect the influence of the Pointillist painter Paul Signac and the constructive method of Paul Cézanne. Pointillism was a systematic method of rendering colour and light by short strokes and points of pure colour. Matisse explored this method of working in an attempt to define his own artistic direction.

Cézanne and Matisse’s ‘dark years’ (1900—04)

In the early years of the twentieth century Matisse became absorbed in the study of the human figure through painting and sculpture. Paul Cézanne and Auguste Rodin were artists to whom Matisse looked for guidance and direction. Colour was of less importance during this period and many of his paintings appear dark and gloomy. Matisse's Self-portrait 1900 is an indication of this sombre quality. The influence of Paul Cézanne can be seen in Nude study in blue (1899-1900) where Matisse has used 'directional' brushstrokes in the manner of Cézanne to indicate the weight and pose of the figure. Note how many of the details of the figure have been eliminated, leaving only the essential lines and forms in place, indicated by angular, 'directional' strokes of paint. The ray (after Jean Baptiste-Siméon Chardin) 1897—1903 is an example of a copy made after a master painter whom Matisse admired. This painting evolved over a number of years, incorporating elements of Paul Cézanne's technique of flattened, angular forms and represents Matisse's desire to absorb the lessons of the past while developing his own artistic identity and direction.

Colour and expression

In 1905 Matisse exhibited a number of works which scandalised French critics of the time by their use of pure, intense colour and lack of traditional perspective and tonal modelling. These works represent Matisse's pursuit of colour as the essence of expression in painting. In these works, Matisse was attempting to liberate colour from its descriptive role by simplifying forms, objects and figures to strokes and patches of pure colour. This technique focused the viewer's attention on the painting itself rather than what it represented. Matisse realised that painting could never be a substitute for reality, only a means of expressing it.

Fauvism and the colours of Collioure (1904-06)

In 1904 and Matisse and his family visited the South of France, staying at St-Tropez and a remote fishing village called Collioure. The experience of bright Mediterranean light and coastal landscapes resulted in a series of intensely coloured paintings which earned Matisse the reputation of a radical Fauve when they were exhibited. Woman beside the water (La Japonaise, Madame Matisse) 1905 captures the vibrant, loose brushwork and brilliant colour which characterised Matisse’s Fauve paintings. Dabs, strokes and lines of pure colour have been arranged to only vaguely suggest a figure by the water. The woman is dressed in a Japanese kimono which is indicated by bright curved lines of blue while the shimmer of the water is suggested by the vibrant complementary combination of green and mauve. View of Collioure with church 1905 is a landscape from the period and represents Matisse's visual and artistic response to light and colour of a particular location.

Drawing and the figure

Throughout his career, Matisse looked to the human figure as the ideal expression of balance, harmony and form. He used the figure as a means of understanding and expressing energy, life and movement. Because the human figure is such a recognisable form, Matisse could experiment with its presentation and interpretation in a variety of ways without losing touch with it as a 'sign' of humanity and life.

There is a diverse array of figurative drawings in a variety of media to explore in the exhibition. Matisse's academic style is evident, as well as expressive linear drawing of his arabesques. Matisse's large charcoal drawings create a very different mood when compared to the open line drawings of acrobats and dancers. Through drawing the human figure continuously throughout his life in a variety of media, Matisse came to understand its structure, anatomy and expressive power.

The body in decoration (1906—11)

Matisse portrayed the female nude in a diverse array of poses and situations. From subtly erotic to poetic, domestic, monumental and mythological guises, the female form represented the most expressive figurative device for Matisse. A number of works in this section illustrate Matisse's approaches to the figure in a variety of media. The lithograph Le grand nu 1906 demonstrates Matisse's ability to reduce the figure to its essential features by eliminating details. His bronze sculpture, Reclining nude (I), Aurora 1906—07 is an example of how the artist could translate a similar subject into a different media. Standing woman seen from behind (Study for 'Back ' (I)) 1909 is a pen and ink drawing which uses traditional cross hatching to describe areas of light and dark. The pencil drawing Study after 'Dance (I)' 1909 captures a sense of movement and joy in its circular arrangement and the figures are simply but accurately portrayed. These works are not portraits of individuals but studies of the expressive potential of the human figure. By looking at this selection of works, try to establish what aspects of the human form are expressed by each of them, e.g. relaxation, power, eroticism, joy, etc.

Exoticism and experiment (1912-16)

Matisse travelled to Morocco in North Africa in 1912 and 1913. These trips had a dramatic impact on the artist's work. Acanthus, Moroccan landscape 1912 and Basket of oranges 1912 are paintings which were produced in response to the exotic colour and luxuriant vegetation of Morocco. In both works, colour plays a major role in expressing these qualities. The use of orange, red and violet in Basket of oranges creates a sense of heat, and the floral print of the fabric on which the still life is arranged adds to the feeling of exoticism.

Nice: The patterns of satisfaction (1917-29)

In 1917 Matisse moved to the Mediterranean coastal city of Nice where the warm weather and bright light contributed to another phase of the artist's work. He again looked to the work of past masters such as Gustave Courbet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir for guidance and inspiration. Matisse completed a series of paintings of interiors with figures and decorative, ornamental details. He applied his knowledge and understanding of the figure to individual sitters during this period, producing some penetrating and evocative portraits of his models and friends. Meditation (Portrait of Lorette) c.1916 is an example of Matisse's ability to capture something of the model's personality and character.

The human figure was also the central motif for Matisse's odalisque paintings. These were images of women in North African or Middle Eastern costume and referred to the Islamic tradition of harem women or slaves. The models Matisse hired to pose for him were of course local French women, as the depiction of the human figure is forbidden in Islamic culture. These paintings recall Matisse's trips to Morocco and incorporate many of the rich decorative features of Islamic art in the form of fabrics, costumes, screens, mirrors and objects. This decorative aspect is evident in Decorative figure on an ornamental ground 1925-26 where much of the background in the painting is crammed with decorative patterns.

Exploring media

Like Picasso, Matisse explored a number of media and disciplines during his career. While painting occupied a prominent position, printmaking, sculpture, collage, drawing, costume and architectural design and book illustration were areas in which Matisse excelled in his ability to interpret and transfer themes and motifs across a variety of media. Sculpture provided a means for Matisse to explore further the figure in three-dimensional form. While building on the lessons of Rodin and at the same time recognising the expressive, abstract qualities of non-Western sculpture from Africa and Melanesia, Matisse forged new directions in figurative sculpture which were to have a lasting influence on modern sculpture.

Murals and myths (1929—34)

During the early 1930s Matisse set off on another journey to Tahiti and America. The tropical vegetation and marine life of Tahiti provided the artist with ideas which emerged in his work several years later when he returned to Nice. The simplified forms of coral, birds, fish and marine plants can be seen in the large print on fabric, Oceania, the sky 1946. Similar shapes also appear in Matisse's illustrated book, Jazz. While in America, Matisse was commissioned to paint a large mural for the Barnes Foundation near Philadelphia. This project required extensive preparatory drawings and studies. The figure in motion was the theme for the mural and can be seen in a number of works in the exhibition. Study for 'Dance mural' 1930 is a sketchbook study while The dance, harmony in ochre 1930—31 and The dance, harmony in blue 1930—31 are painted interpretations. Note the subtle variations and changes that occur throughout this series of studies.

Final Fashionability: Jazz, Décor, Découpage (1935—54)

The final period of Matisse's career produced some of the artist's most innovative and influential works. The decorative aspects of his Nice works gave way to simpler, more abstract paintings where 'fields' of bright colour were used in bold, geometric compositions. Still life with magnolia 1941 and Tulips and oysters on a black background 1943 are examples of this treatment.

From 1943 to 1944 Matisse worked on a series of paper cut-outs for his artist's book, Jazz. These designs were cut from coloured paper, a process Matisse called 'drawing with scissors'. These designs were later reproduced as prints in book form, all of which are displayed in the exhibition. The cut-out process can also be seen in Mimosa 1949-51 which uses rounded, plant-like forms inspired by the artist's journey to Tahiti. Woman with amphora 1953 and Nude with oranges 1953 are further examples of Matisse's effective use of this simple but innovative design process. Matisse's understanding of drawing, colour, scale, form and line was essential for the production of these late cut-out works despite their apparent simplicity.

• Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, QLD | 29 March 1995 – 16 May 1995
• National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC | 19 July 1995 – 3 September 1995