Odalisque, Harmony in Red 1926

Henri Matisse made this painting, 'Odalisque, Harmony in Red,' with oil on canvas, and the way he’s used that paint! It’s almost like he’s having a conversation between the figure and the objects around her. I can imagine Matisse in his studio, stepping back, squinting, then diving in again with his brush. Those reds are like a shout, right? But a joyful shout! Like he’s saying, "Look, color can be the whole story!" The paint isn’t trying to trick you into thinking it’s something else; it's just paint, laid down in these luscious, flat areas. Look at the gold jug and the way it reflects the light, and then see how that red keeps vibrating behind it. It’s as if he’s playing with the tension between what’s solid and what’s just an illusion. It's all part of the ongoing chat among painters across time, each one egging the other on to see things a little differently.