The 36-year-old Henri Matisse made a scandal in Paris exhibiting paintings with bright colors that no longer corresponded to the things they depicted. Hostile critics called this the world of “wild beasts,” or fauves. We trace Matisse’s earlier career and his breakthroughs in landscape, still life, and figural painting.
Matisse Liberates Color
Henri Matisse, La fenêtre ouverte, Collioure (Open Window, Collioure), 1905. Oil on canvas. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Collection of Mr. and Mrs. John Hay Whitney, 1998.74.7. © 2024 Succession H. Matisse / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Lecture One
About the Lecture Series
In this four-part series John Walsh, B.A. 1961, Director Emeritus of the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, explores the phases of Matisse’s career. What were the artist’s innovations, and how did he relate to the critics, public, and fellow artists of his day? Each lecture is anchored to an important work, emphasizing close looking.