Carmelina 1903

Henri Matisse painted Carmelina with oils on canvas in the early 20th century and now it hangs in Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. I love the earthiness of this painting. Matisse hasn't idealized Carmelina at all, but instead shows her heft and solidity, her force. The painting's surface is scrubbed and dragged, built up from many colours. Imagine Matisse in his studio, squinting at the model, then back at the canvas. His brown strokes shape the darkness between her breasts and her strong legs. You can see that he's been thinking about colour theory - note how the cool blue of the bow in Carmelina’s hair accentuates the orange of her skin. In his studio, there's another version of him, like an echo, wearing a red shirt and captured in the mirror in the top left of the artwork. Painters like Matisse are in a constant conversation with each other. When I look at this, I think about the conversations I've had with other painters. We share tips, struggle through similar issues, and support one another to go further than we thought we could.