Portrait of Sarah Stein 1916

Here at SFMOMA is Henri Matisse's portrait of Sarah Stein, rendered with oil on canvas, and it feels like the colour is just breathing, doesn't it? Look at how Matisse applies paint to build up the face, it's really economical, like a sculptor would work with clay. The way the brushstrokes model her cheekbones and brow is so physical; you can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the canvas. I love how he doesn't fuss over details, it’s about the big shapes. There's this patch of raw canvas peeking through near her neck, a reminder of the painting's materiality, that it's not just an image but an object, a thing made with intention. The black outline of the eyes is heavy and definite, in contrast to the rest of the face which is more nuanced. Matisse's process reminds me of Gauguin's interest in flattening forms to get at something more essential than outward appearance. It’s all about the conversation between artists, each riffing off the other, trying to capture something true about seeing and being.