Promenade des oliviers 1905

Henri Matisse made 'Promenade des oliviers' with paint, probably oil, and a whole lot of seeing. The way he attacks the canvas, it's like he’s wrestling with the scene right in front of him, trying to nail down the feeling of being there. Look at those strokes! They’re thick, juicy, and unapologetic. You can practically feel the bristles of the brush dancing across the surface. The colors aren't exactly true to life, but they're true to the feeling of life, if you know what I mean. Check out the lower-left corner – that patch of red. It's like a little explosion, full of energy and rawness. Then your eye travels up to that pink path and the way he’s used colour to create a sense of depth. It makes you think about how we all make up our own version of reality, right? Reminds me a little of Van Gogh, but with a brighter, more optimistic edge. Art isn’t about showing us the world, it’s about showing us how someone sees the world.