Odalisque with Gray Pants 1927

Henri Matisse made "Odalisque with Gray Pants" with oil on canvas, and it's now at the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris. What strikes me first is how he’s laid down these colours, kind of raw and direct, not trying to blend or smooth things over too much. It’s like you can see him thinking, brushstroke by brushstroke. Look at the way the yellows and greens in the shawl create this vibrating pattern against the red in the background. It’s so bold and unapologetic! And then there’s the face, these simple, almost mask-like shapes that somehow still convey so much. It feels like Matisse is pushing painting to its limits, seeing how much he can simplify while still capturing something essential. Matisse's approach reminds me a bit of Morandi, in the sense of how both artists return to a small number of subjects over and over, like they are never done looking, and I think that’s how art works, it is this ongoing conversation between artists and images.