Bather 1909

Henri Matisse probably painted this Bather with oils on canvas. He was one of those painters who would try the same composition over and over again. The marks are pretty gestural and the colors are a simple palette of pinky skin tones, red hair, and blues. He must have been pushing and pulling the paint around, trying to find the balance between abstraction and figuration, and also flatness and depth. I can imagine him simplifying and clarifying the forms, trying to capture the essence of the figure. I love the bold outlines that define the body against the blue background, and how the brushstrokes give a sense of movement and energy to the figure. The color is pretty juicy! It makes me think about other artists who were exploring similar themes and ideas at the time, like Cezanne and Picasso, like they were all feeding off each other's energy and pushing the boundaries of what painting could be. Anyway, that's how new languages emerge, with all these artists in conversation.