Woman's Head, Flowers in Her Hair 1919

Henri Matisse made this painting of a woman with flowers in her hair with oil on canvas. Imagine him, standing in front of the easel, layering the paint, one tone next to the other, trying to bring forth a face, a human presence. I can almost feel the texture of the canvas under his brush, the slight resistance as he coaxes out the shapes. The eyes, dark and piercing, seem to hold a universe of thoughts and emotions. Look at the little strokes of muted reds and pinks that animate her complexion, and the shadow of blue that sits under her eye. It feels like he’s not just painting a face, but capturing something deeper, something felt. When I look at this, I think of his later cut-outs: the same bold simplicity, the same joy in colour, but here, grounded in the materiality of paint. It's like he's feeling his way towards something new, pushing against the boundaries of what a portrait can be. There is a conversation happening here, with the old masters and with his contemporaries, a constant questioning and exploration of form, colour, and emotion.