View of Notre Dame 1902

Henri Matisse painted this "View of Notre Dame" with oils, where the brushstrokes feel like they're dancing. He's not just copying what he sees, but also showing us how he sees. The paint is put on kind of thick, especially in the sky, with blues and creams swirled together. It's like he's building the sky right there on the canvas, layer by layer. The cathedral itself is more of a suggestion, like a memory. What strikes me is the vertical mark on the right hand side of the picture plane, probably the edge of a window, which emphasizes the interiority of the viewpoint and the feeling of being slightly removed from the cityscape. Matisse is doing what artists do – having a conversation with the world and with other artists, like Cezanne, but always in his own voice. In the end, it’s not just a view of Notre Dame, but a view into Matisse's way of seeing.