Henri Matisse Research Paper

Henri Matisse made many significant contributions to art that have had lasting impact in the future. He is recognized as one of the most successful artists of the 20th century, and was considered a rival by Picasso. He was fascinated by color, and is known for the vibrant use of it in his pieces. He was considered a Post-Impressionist, and rejected Picasso’s cubist style. Like Picasso, Matisse dabbled in many different forms of art including but not limited to paintings, cut-outs, drawing, and stained glass. Interestingly enough, Matisse wasn’t always an artist; initially, he was a lawyer. He didn’t become involved in art until he was 21 when he was in the hospital and his mother gave him a set of watercolors. He then abandoned his career as a lawyer, and threw himself into the study of art. He first pursued training in Paris under a number of masters, and his first works were very academic and classical. After a few years of living in Paris, his art became influenced by the vibrant, varied styles that inevitably pop-up in artistic meccas such as

Rather than using people and objects to balance the painting, Matisse used large fields of color to achieve the same result. The large amount of red in this painting allowed him to put in more decorative items without overwhelming the piece. Harmony in Red achieves this goal, and is serene and has elements reminiscent of the Renaissance ideal of grazia. He creates an illusion of depth by incorporating a window so the viewer can see out of the red room. Additionally, Matisse was also very interested and influenced by Asian art, as many artists of the time were. For example, the woman in the painting is inspired by the Geisha on Japanese scrolls that Matisse studied. Similar motifs and movement are echoed both “inside” and “outside” of the room in the swirling print of the wallpaper and tablecloth against the waving trunks of the