The Tree 1951

Henri Matisse made *The Tree* with ink and paper. There's a rhythmic quality to the whole composition. Look at those big, confident black lines that form the branches, each one thick and sure, like they know exactly where they’re going. But then, they suddenly sprout these delicate little leaves, almost like afterthoughts. I imagine Matisse, brush in hand, making those decisive strokes, feeling the pull of the ink on the paper. But the tree trunk, it’s different, isn’t it? Washed out, diluted, almost apologetic in its white covering of beige. Maybe he was thinking about how trees reach for the sky, how they sway in the breeze, all the while staying rooted. He probably knew that those leaves needed the support of something more structural. Matisse was always playing with color and form. You can see a similar approach in his cut-outs. It's like he's not just showing us a tree but sharing an idea, an essence of treeness, which is an idea that echoes through art history. Artists are always riffing off each other, adding their own spin. It's all about an ongoing conversation between artists across time.