Jeannette II 1913

Henri Matisse made this bronze head, Jeannette II, at some point during his career. It’s all about how the light catches and slides across the rough surface, isn't it? You can see the marks of his fingers, where he pushed and prodded the clay. I love to run my hand along the chin, tracing the line of the jaw and the way it joins the neck. The face is kind of mask-like, but it still manages to be so expressive. And look at the hair – it’s like a stormy sea, all swirling and choppy. You can almost feel the energy he put into shaping it. It reminds me of some of Rodin’s heads. Both of them knew that leaving the marks of their process visible was what made the sculpture come alive. Art isn't about perfection; it's about the conversation between the artist and the material. It’s a process. It’s about embracing the mess, the ambiguity, the endless possibilities of what a sculpture, or a painting, can be.