Danseuse Dans Un Intérieur, Carrelage Vert Et Noir 1942

Henri Matisse created "Danseuse Dans Un Intérieur, Carrelage Vert Et Noir" with oil paint, probably in the early 20th century. What strikes me first is the sheer joy of the yellow, popping against the black and green floor. You can see the process in the brushstrokes; it's like he's having a conversation with the canvas. The paint is applied pretty loosely, not trying to hide itself. It's not about illusion; it's about the here and now of making the picture. Look at the dancer's legs, how they're built from these strokes of orange, confident and direct. The little pops of red on the chair and table are just wonderful, like little exclamation points. This piece feels like it’s in conversation with artists like Bonnard, but with a touch more audacity. Matisse isn’t afraid to push color and form, creating a world that's both familiar and slightly off-kilter. It's this ambiguity that makes his work so endlessly fascinating.