Elena Rossi
Between 1905 and 1908, Henri Matisse's work was influenced by several factors, including his interest in Fauvism, his encounter with Pablo Picasso in 1905, and his travels to North Africa in 1906. During this period, Matisse experimented with bold colours, flat shapes, and expressive techniques, challenging traditional portraiture and pioneering a new movement in French art. His controversial painting Woman with a Hat in 1905 brought him both harsh criticism and favourable attention, marking a pivotal moment in his career. In 1906, a trip to Algeria sparked an interest in North African sculpture, influencing his artistic style. By 1907, Matisse had moved on from Fauvism, simplifying forms against flat planes of colour and intensifying his focus on sculpture. In 1908, he opened an art school, teaching students in the years leading up to World War I. These years were significant in the evolution of Matisse's artistic style and his impact on modern art.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Time period | 1905-1908 |
| Art movement | Fauvism |
| Style | Flat shapes, controlled lines, expressive colour, pointillism |
| Notable works | Luxe, calme et volupté (1904), The Green Line (1905), Bonheur de vivre (1905-06), Marguerite Reading (1906), Woman with the Hat, Sleep (1905), Nu couché, I (Reclining Nude, I) (1906-07) |
| Exhibitions | Salon d'Automne (1905), Ambroise Vollard's gallery (1904), Salon des Indépendants in Paris (1905) |
| Influences | Paul Signac, Georges Seurat, Pablo Picasso, André Derain |
| Other events | Met Pablo Picasso (1906), opened an art school (1908) |
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What You'll Learn
The beginning of Fauvism
The Fauvist movement, also known as Fauvism, was a short-lived art movement that began around 1900 and lasted until about 1908. Henri Matisse, the leader of the Fauvist movement, pursued the expressiveness of colour throughout his career.
In 1905, Matisse travelled southwards to work with André Derain at Collioure. During this period, Matisse's paintings were characterised by flat shapes, controlled lines, and the use of pointillism in a less rigorous way than before. That year, Matisse and a group of artists now known as "Fauves" exhibited together in a room at the Salon d'Automne. The exhibition garnered harsh criticism, with one critic describing it as "a pot of paint has been flung in the face of the public". However, it also received some favourable attention, and Matisse's morale improved when one of his paintings, "Woman with the Hat", was bought by Gertrude and Leo Stein.
Matisse's paintings during this period expressed emotion with wild, often dissonant colours, without regard for the subject's natural colours. One of his most notable works from this time is a portrait of his wife, "The Green Line" (1905), in which he used brilliant blues, greens, and purples paired with vibrant oranges to create a new take on portraiture.
By 1907, painters had moved on from the Fauve style, and Matisse himself began to create simplified forms against flat planes of colour. His interest in sculpture intensified, especially North African work, possibly influenced by his trip to Algeria in 1906.
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Friendship with Pablo Picasso
Matisse and Picasso are regarded as the artists who best helped define revolutionary developments in visual arts in the early 20th century. Their friendship and rivalry, which began around 1906, played a significant role in shaping modern art.
Matisse and Picasso first met during a group exhibition in 1906. Their friendship grew quickly, fuelled by mutual curiosity and respect for each other's artistic experiments. Despite their differences, they shared artistic influences, including a love for the works of Paul Cezanne and Non-Western art, which was being introduced to Western audiences at the time. They also shared an interest in African art, with Picasso collecting African masks and statues.
The two artists had a complex dynamic, with Matisse, the older of the pair, taking on a paternal attitude towards the younger, more tempestuous Picasso. They often behaved as if testing each other's patience, exchanging gifts in a playful competition to annoy and inspire each other. They also engaged in many heated conversations during Picasso's visits to Matisse's studio in Vence, an inland town on the French Riviera.
Their friendship was marked by a mutual influence on each other's artistic practices. Picasso admired how Matisse incorporated his children's drawings into his portraits, while Matisse saw how Picasso was pushing the boundaries of still life towards cubism. They also exchanged paintings, with Picasso choosing a portrait of Matisse's daughter, and Matisse selecting "Pitcher, Bowl and Lemon" (1907) by Picasso.
Matisse and Picasso's relationship was not without its challenges. They had different temperaments and backgrounds, with Matisse coming from a family of northern French industrialists and Picasso growing up in artistic surroundings in southern Spain. They initially distrusted each other's work, and their rivalry was often emphasised by art critics and exhibitions that pitted them against each other. Despite this, their friendship endured, and they shared a lifelong bond marked by pranks, inspirations, and mutual respect.
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Criticism and praise
Matisse's work between 1905 and 1908 was characterised by his involvement with Fauvism, a style that began around 1900 and continued beyond 1910. The movement lasted only a few years, from 1904 to 1906, and had three exhibitions. Matisse was regarded as the leader of the Fauves, along with André Derain.
In 1905, Matisse exhibited work at the Salon d'Automne, including The Open Window and Woman with a Hat. The exhibition received harsh criticism, with the critic Camille Mauclair commenting: "A pot of paint has been flung in the face of the public". However, it also received some favourable attention, and Woman with a Hat was bought by Gertrude and Leo Stein.
Matisse's work during this period was characterised by flat shapes and controlled lines, using pointillism in a less rigorous way than before. His paintings expressed emotion with wild, often dissonant colours, without regard for the subject's natural colours. This intense colourism brought him notoriety as one of the Fauves (French for "wild beasts").
By 1907, Matisse had moved on from Fauvism, creating simplified forms against flat planes of colour. His interest in sculpture intensified, particularly North African work, possibly influenced by a trip to Algeria in 1906. His work of this time also encountered vehement criticism, and it was difficult for him to provide for his family. His controversial 1907 painting Nu bleu was burned in effigy at the Armory Show in Chicago in 1913.
In 1908, Matisse acquired support to open an art school, teaching approximately eighty students over three years. He also published his "Notes of a Painter", in which he stated his artistic aim: to discover the "essential character of things" and to produce an art of "balance, purity, and serenity".
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Travel to Collioure
In 1905, Henri Matisse travelled to Collioure, a small fishing town in the southwest of France, near the Mediterranean coast and the Spanish border. He was accompanied by his family and worked alongside André Derain. This trip marked a significant moment in the history of modern art, as Matisse produced a series of radical paintings and drawings that established him as the leader of the avant-garde in Paris.
Matisse's works from this period are characterised by their brilliant colours and expressive brushwork. He created canvases with thick impasto and flat areas of pure pigment, demonstrating a style that was less rigorous than his earlier pointillist approach. The paintings often featured views of the Collioure landscape, including the beach, the fishing community, and the 17th-century Château Royal.
One notable work from this period is "Le Port de Collioure", which showcases Matisse's extraordinary use of colour and raw energy in his line work. The composition reflects a balance between the masts leaning towards the sea and the right-leaning trunks of trees at the end of the beach. The drawing also captures the dynamic activities of the fishing community, with figures possibly mending nets or sorting through the catch.
Another important piece is "Open Window, Collioure" ("Ventana abierta en Collioure"), which demonstrates Matisse's experimentation with light and colour. This painting transcends conventional representation, inviting viewers to imagine the invisible activities beyond the open window, adding a layer of dynamism and narrative to the scene.
Matisse's time in Collioure had a significant impact on his artistic style and solidified his reputation as a pioneer in the art world. He returned to Collioure for various summers and one winter between 1905 and 1914, often painting views of the town and its surrounding landscape. These works contributed to the development of his flat and decorative style, which he fully employed by 1907.
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Teaching and an art school
Between 1905 and 1908, Henri Matisse's work was characterised by his distinctive use of colour and style, which brought him recognition as one of the Fauves, or "wild beasts". This period saw Matisse produce a significant number of notable works, including "Woman with a Hat", "The Green Line", and "Bonheur de Vivre".
Matisse's work during this time was heavily influenced by his trip to Collioure in 1905, where he worked with André Derain to create a new style of pure colours and bright light. This style, known as Fauvism, was characterised by flat shapes and controlled lines, with a less rigorous use of pointillism.
In 1906, Matisse travelled to Algeria, where he developed a deeper interest in sculpture, particularly North African sculpture. This interest in sculpture continued to grow, and Matisse began to use it to resolve pictorial problems, especially those relating to the figure.
By 1907, Matisse had moved on from the Fauve style and began to create simplified forms against flat planes of colour. This shift in style coincided with his meeting with Pablo Picasso in April 1906, who would become a lifelong friend and rival. While Picasso deconstructed objects into Cubist planes, Matisse sought to construct an object's form through colour.
In 1908, Matisse opened an art school, teaching approximately eighty students over three years. This marked a new direction in his career, as he transitioned from student to teacher, influencing the next generation of artists. Matisse's work during this period encompassed a range of mediums and subjects, including landscape, still life, portraiture, and figure studies.
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Frequently asked questions
Fauvism was a short-lived movement in modern art that began around 1900 and ended around 1908. It was led by Henri Matisse and André Derain. Fauvist painters used colour expressively, without regard for the natural colours of the subject. Matisse's 1905 portrait of his wife, 'Woman with a Hat', is considered the beginning of Fauvism.
Matisse was influenced by earlier masters such as Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, Nicolas Poussin, and Antoine Watteau, as well as modern artists. In 1905, he travelled to the south of France to work with André Derain at Collioure, where he produced paintings characterised by flat shapes and controlled lines, using pointillism.
Matisse and Picasso first met in 1905 or 1906 and became lifelong friends and rivals. They differed in their approaches to modern art—while Picasso deconstructed objects into Cubist planes, Matisse sought to construct an object's form through colour.
In 1908, Matisse opened an art school, teaching approximately eighty students in the years leading up to World War I.
