Girl with Tulips 1910

Henri Matisse painted ‘Girl with Tulips’ in Russia, using oil on canvas and a simplified, almost childlike style. The palette is bold, and maybe even a little brash; those blues and oranges smack up against each other. There’s a directness in the way the paint's applied, like Matisse is figuring it out as he goes. I love that this feels so provisional, so open. Look at the way the colors almost vibrate, especially around the girl’s face. It's not about realism; it's about feeling. The tulips themselves are these little sparks of pink, almost like they're breathing. The flatness reminds me a bit of some of Gauguin’s work, but Matisse has a different kind of energy, more raw, less polished. You get the sense that for Matisse, art wasn't about making pretty pictures, but about wrestling with color and form and emotion, all at once.