Vase of Flowers 1924

Henri Matisse, sometime in his career, painted "Vase of Flowers" with oil on canvas. It is a painting about looking and colour, and for me, about the joy of artmaking itself. Look at how Matisse builds up the colours, layer by layer. The blues of the vase, playing against the yellows in the patterned wallpaper. This tension, this back and forth, makes the whole thing sing! I'm especially drawn to the way he handles the tablecloth. It's not just blue, but a mix of blues and whites, scumbled together to create a sense of depth and texture. You can almost feel the weight of the fabric, the way it drapes and folds. Matisse reminds me so much of Bonnard in that way, always pushing and pulling at colour to create a feeling, an atmosphere. Ultimately, "Vase of Flowers" isn't just about flowers. It's about the pleasure of seeing.