Bateaux à Collioure 1905

Henri Matisse made this watercolour painting of boats in Collioure with fluid strokes and a bright palette. Look at the way he’s put the paint down, how the colours bleed into each other. I can imagine Matisse standing there with his brush, the water reflecting light, feeling the warmth of the sun, quickly capturing the scene before him. What was he thinking as he laid down those strokes? Notice the masts of the boats, thin, but assertive. The water is rendered with horizontal strokes of blues and greens. The reds, yellows and pinks make up the foreground and blend into the trees on the right. He’s not trying to paint reality as it is, but rather capturing his emotional response to the scene. Matisse was part of the Fauves, who favoured painterly qualities and strong colour over the realistic values retained by Impressionism. It’s like he’s having a conversation with painters who came before him, and also pushing back, like any good artist does. It’s all one big conversation, and we’re lucky to be eavesdropping.