Henri Matisse is a world-renowned painter, sculptor, and draughtsman. He is heralded by many as one of the pioneering figures of modern art. Born in Northern France in 1869, he began painting at the age of 21 while recovering from a bout of appendicitis. This led to his switching careers from court administration to art. Subsequently, he enrolled at the Academy Julian in 1891 where he became proficient in the traditional impressionism based style. He incorporated new styles such as pointillism in his paintings when he encountered the works of J.W Turner. His style evolved even further when he was introduced to Van Gough’s work. Matisse eventually developed a unique style known as Fauvism which was characterized by the use of bold strokes and wild, dissonant colors, where the subject’s natural color would often be disregarded. Thus, he was recognized as one of the leaders of this movement. Following the hostile reception and the subsequent decline of Fauvism, Matisse continued with his artistic journey, looking for inspiration for his work further afield. This journey eventually led him to Morocco, North Africa where he researched primitivism and Islamic art. His interaction with the African continent is reflected in the pieces he subsequently produced. One notable artwork in this regard is L'Atelier Rouge which was painted in 1911. 1 This essay is therefore aimed at examining and describing L'Atelier Rouge .
Henry Matisse’s L’Atelier Rouge
L’Atelier Rouge, Henri Matisse, Oil on Canvas, 1911, 5′ 4″ x 4′ 3″
L'Atelier Rouge is a seminal piece of work depicting Matisse’s studio which he had built in 1909. This quasi-abstract painting harks to his foundational days at the academy where his work was mainly comprised of still lives done in the traditional style. 2 However, L'Atelier Rouge departs from that era in the bold use of color as well as the creative use of form to bring out the artist’s studio. The piece is set on a rust red background. This painting seems to have been created following the end of Fauvism. This is because it features various elements of Matisse’s previous artworks. For instance, the red color that dominates the painting had been incorporated in The Dessert: Harmony in Red, a painting he had created earlier in 1908. Besides Fauvism, other influences include his early works and travels, as well as impressionism and post-impressionism.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
L'Atelier Rouge features mini renderings of some of Matisse’s paintings which are mounted on the nearest wall with others in various stages of completion and leaning on the far wall. In the painting, his finished works are mounted on the wall. The foreground features a table on the left side, on which lie the artist’s pallet and a set of pastels. Two pastels are not in the box, giving the feel of the artist having been at work. On the table, there is also an empty wine glass and a potted plant. The latter features sprouting green flowers. The right side of the painting’s foreground features a chair and an easel. The background features more objects on the far wall, where there are retrospectives of the artist’s works. On the left of the far wall, there are paintings to the right of which is a grandfather clock which serves as the central axis of the room. Next to the clock is a chest of drawers with small ceramic pieces and to the extreme right of the far wall are two sculptures on stools.
In this piece, Matisse exhibits very creative use of form, as well as other elements of art to produce a piece that is as intriguing as it is simple. For instance, the viewer’s attention is drawn into the room by the rust red background. This is because it is neither so bright as to make the piece feel two-dimensional nor is it so dark as to keep the viewer’s eyes on brighter objects in the foreground. The room’s boundaries are marked out using a thin continuous yellow line which does not establish an absolute sense of depth. This is done through a mix of organic and geometric forms. Notable in this piece is the minimal use of color black, which gives the room a smooth feel. Also, the viewer’s eyes easily transition from one end of the space to another. The warm tone of the rust red is inviting to the eye and at the same time allows the other objects in the room to stand out. There is no fixed sense of perspective in this piece. Rather, the creative use of form gives the painting a three-dimensional feel. For example, the far wall is marked off by alignment of the large painting on the near wall and the smaller one on the far wall. The spatial relationship between other objects in the background such as the grandfather clock, sculptures, and paintings creates the feeling of verticality and marks out the rear boundary of the studio, which is necessitated by the flowing nature of the rust red background.
The variation size of paintings in the room confers a sense of proportion, and the bigger size of objects on the table compared to those in the background assists in the development of a sense of depth and perspective. It also lends a harmonious feel to the artist’s works as the various elements do not appear to clash with each other. All the items in the room are typically found in an artist’s studio and appear to be grouped based on similarity or utility, thereby bringing a sense of unity. This is because all the items belong together and are grouped in an orderly manner. The placement of the grandfather clock assists in the creation of a sense of balance in the work since it provides the viewer with a vertical reference point through which the left and right sides of the painting can be discerned and evaluated. Based on the items featured in L'Atelier Rouge, it can be argued that Matisse sought to exhibit his creative process as well as inner vision. 3
Bibliography
“ Henri Matisse: An Analysis of the French Fauve Painter.” 2017. Accessed May 4. http://www.oil-painting-techniques.com/analysis-henri-matisse.html
“ Henri Matisse. The Red Studio. Issy-Les-Moulineaux, Fall 1911 | MoMA.” 2017. Accessed May 4. https://www.moma.org/collection/works/78389
The Art Story. “Fauvism: Important Art and Artists of Fauvism .” Accessed May 5, 2017. http://www.theartstory.org/movement-fauvism-artworks.htm
