The Bay of Tangier 1912

Henri Matisse made "The Bay of Tangier" at an unknown date, probably with oil on canvas. Look at how he fearlessly throws down these pure hues like he’s tossing confetti at a party! Matisse is playing with a high vantage point here. You get this amazing view of the town, where he's broken everything down into these simple blocks of color. It’s not about rendering every little detail, but about capturing the light, the feeling, the sheer joy of being there. The brushstrokes aren't trying to hide, the texture of the paint creates its own kind of energy. Check out that juicy orange building in the foreground – it anchors the whole composition. It’s like a grounding force that sets off the cooler blues and greens of the bay. This reminds me a bit of Cezanne; that same commitment to flattening space and playing with perspective. But Matisse takes it a step further, embracing a kind of wildness, which is something he would embrace even more later in his career.