Stained Glass Window Window of the abside of the Rosary Chapel 1949

Henri Matisse made this stained glass window for the Rosary Chapel, and when you look at it, you can almost feel the heat and light of the South of France. Imagine Matisse, scissors in hand, cutting out those vibrant shapes. The leaves—some sunny yellow, others a cool blue or green—scatter across the surface, dancing in the light. I can almost see him, arranging and rearranging them, searching for the perfect balance. There's something so joyful and free about the way he uses color. It’s like he’s not just depicting leaves, but capturing the feeling of being surrounded by nature. The way he contrasts these organic forms with the geometry of the grid gives the composition structure, but also allows for a playful energy. It reminds me of how we try to find order in the chaos of life, and vice versa. We’re all just cutting and pasting, really, trying to make something beautiful.