The Flowing Hair 1952

Henri Matisse made The Flowing Hair in 1952, and what strikes me is how something so simple can be so evocative. The ultramarine figure against the white sings with movement and a kind of effortless grace. Matisse worked with paper cut-outs in his late period, and here the physicality of the medium is front and center. The solid, matte color has a real presence, a tactile quality. Look at how the shapes aren't perfectly smooth – the edges have a slight roughness, a handmade feel. The figure, the hair, they become almost abstract forms, and it makes you wonder about that blue, you know? Is it the cool of water, the depth of the sky? In some ways, this piece echoes the work of Joan Miró, with its playful shapes and bold use of color. Ultimately, it reminds us that art is a conversation and an exchange of ideas.