The Madras 1906 - 1907

Henri Matisse made 'The Madras' with oil on canvas. Isn’t it interesting how Matisse builds up the image with these distinct, almost blocky strokes? It feels like he's piecing together the scene, one color at a time. Look at the woman’s dress and headscarf. Notice the way the orange-red shapes are scattered across the blue fabric of her dress. They remind me of little flames, adding a lively rhythm to the composition. Then, the thick application of paint—it’s so physical. You can almost feel the energy of his hand moving across the canvas. I am really drawn to that almost-white area where the hands meet. What is she holding? We will never know, but the painting invites us to create our own story. This piece reminds me a little of Gauguin and how he would use flat blocks of color to create a sense of depth and space. It’s like they’re both saying, "Hey, let’s not get too hung up on reality. Let’s play with color and form and see what happens."