Henri Matisse: "Dance"

The works of Henri Matisse play an impressive role in the work of both French and world expressionists. The artist became the founder of one of the most progressive at that time currents - Fauvism. One of the most famous canvases written in this style is the masterpiece that Matisse created - "Dance."

About the artist

Henri Matisse was born in 1869 in the north-eastern part of France in the family of the merchant. After studying at school, the young fellow-worker moved to Paris, where he continued his studies in the specialty "jurisprudence". Having worked as a lawyer for a while, Matisse became disillusioned with his monotonous profession. The turning point was Henry's disease. After the operation to remove the acute appendicitis, he tried to brighten up his pastime by drawing.

With the permission of his father, Matisse devoted himself to the study of fine arts at the Academy of Julian. However, relations with the master Adolf Bouguereau did not work out and Henri changed the school to the School of Fine Arts. Henri's mentor was the outstanding teacher Gustave Moreau. Here Matisse met and established good relations with Albert Marque and Georges Rouault - future single-minded people. Since the end of the nineteenth century, the artist has participated in exhibitions.

Creation

It is noteworthy that Henri Matisse, whose "Dance" glorified the author primarily as an expressionist, began his creative activity as an impressionist. However, gradually, experimenting with the color range of his works, giving preference to increasingly bright colors, the artist comes with his own current - Fauvism. In this direction, and wrote a famous exhibit, which was released from the brush Matisse - "Dance".

So the master begins to paint in his famous genre. Constant concomitant creativity Henri Matisse are intense colors and minimalistic figures. In addition, a great reflection on the artist's future paintings was his fascination with the sculpture of African and Japanese peoples, as well as, as the master himself repeatedly admitted, national Russian motifs.

After long travels along the Mediterranean coast and observations of the surrounding nature, Henri only strengthened his convictions that it is the simplicity in his works that can cause a storm of emotions and feelings.

Famous painting

Among all known paintings of the artist there is always a panel that Matisse wrote - "Dance". This work was written in oil in 1910. As the history says, this canvas was written in order to the well-known Russian collector Shchukin Sergey Ivanovich for decorating the interior in his estate. The history of this picture is quite scandalous.

Before sending the painting to the customer, Henri Matisse exhibited it in the Salon, where critics unflatteringly responded about the frank plot of the work. Moreover, visitors found the picture too simplistic. Indeed, the canvas depicts five absolutely naked people who dance, holding each other tightly by the hand, as Matisse portrays them.

"Dance" is written with only three colors - red, green and blue. However, from such a combination and compositional solution, it seems that these figures are in constant motion. Despite the first impression of the simplicity of the canvas, the artist clearly traced every detail of his work. In this picture you can not find a shadow game, but some depth, expressed in color, as if signaling about the power and swiftness hidden in the canvas, which are depicted as dance and music. Matisse with his bold decision to drop the superfluous brought his painting an unprecedented fame. It is worth noting that the theme of dance has been raised in art not once. It was in Henri Matisse's decision that she became iconic in the European art of the twentieth century.