Still Life with Green Sideboard 1928

Henri Matisse made this ‘Still Life with Green Sideboard’ with oil paint. Look at how he's built the forms with these energetic, visible brushstrokes. Nothing is static here; everything feels alive and in motion. I really get a sense of the materiality of the painting from how the paint is applied so directly. It's not about illusion, but about the fact that it's paint, thick and opaque. The green sideboard dominates, doesn’t it? Notice how the colors vibrate against each other, like the blues and greens, creating this visual buzz. Take a look at the peach that's sitting slightly apart from the others, casually placed on the blue and white cloth, that feels important in some way, anchoring the composition while also setting up a delightful tension with the rest of the scene. Matisse's influence can be seen in the work of many later painters, such as David Hockney, who shared his love of vibrant colour and flattened perspective. Ultimately, this painting reminds us that art is a conversation, always questioning, always exploring.