Woman Lying Close to a Vase of Flowers 1942

Henri Matisse painted 'Woman Lying Close to a Vase of Flowers' with oil on canvas, and what strikes me is how immediate it feels. It's like he's figuring it out as he goes, letting the painting process itself guide him. Look at the way he’s laid down those colors – the vibrant reds and blues wrestling with each other, the skin tones leaning into oranges and browns. It's all so physical, so present. You can almost feel the texture of the canvas, the way the brush dragged across the surface. There’s this spot, just where the woman’s leg meets the red of the couch, where the colors bleed together a little. It's not precise, but it's so full of life. Matisse reminds me of Bonnard, in that the way they both use colour is so instinctive. Like they’re not just painting what they see, but what they feel. For Matisse, art isn't about answers, but about the joy of looking, the thrill of making.