Montalban, Landscape 1918

Henri Matisse made this landscape painting called ‘Montalban’ with oil on canvas, at an unknown date. I can imagine Matisse outside, squinting, trying to capture a sense of light in the south of France. It's so green, but it’s not just one green, is it? There are olive greens, and acid yellows that really vibrate off the surface. Then those dark, vertical slashes for the trees, they're so direct and sure. I love how Matisse takes what he sees and finds a way to lay it down in these confident strokes. He’s saying, “This is how I see the world, with all its imperfections and contradictions.” Painting is a conversation, right? And Matisse was definitely listening and responding to what other artists were doing around him, and then he'd go and make it his own. You get the feeling that painting for him was about this ongoing exploration.