Still Life with Apples on a Pink Tablecloth 1924

This is a Matisse, "Still Life with Apples on a Pink Tablecloth," and what strikes me right away is the raw energy in how he puts paint to canvas; it’s less about perfection, more about feeling. You can see it in the textured brushstrokes that build up the pink tablecloth, a pink that argues with the yellow apples. Look at how the pink in the tablecloth almost vibrates, made from so many different hues laid one next to the other! It’s like he’s not just painting what he sees but also how he feels about it. The paint is thick, almost sculptural in places, and you can see the direction of the brushstrokes creating movement and depth. It’s a playful game of layering colours and textures. Matisse reminds me of other painters like Bonnard, who knew that a painting is a conversation between the artist, the subject, and the viewer, always open to interpretation.