The Eschimo 1947

Matisse made "The Eschimo" using cut paper, and I can just imagine him shuffling those shapes around until they clicked. The colours are so vibrant, aren't they? Like the memory of a tropical vacation. I love how he's taken these simple botanical and facial forms and created something so evocative, a real feeling of a place or maybe a person. Think of the way Matisse used scissors like a brush, snipping out these shapes with such precision, but also with a kind of joyful abandon, which is what all us painters are chasing, right? The colour is like a physical sensation. Each shape feels carefully considered, balanced. It’s like he's inviting us to rearrange them in our minds too, and to ask questions, to stay open to seeing things in new ways.