Seascape 1905

Henri Matisse made this seascape with oil paint and brushstrokes of unblended colour. It must have been quite a joyful experience, to capture such light with such a vivid palette! I can only imagine what it must have felt like to be Matisse, standing before this very landscape, trying to capture the essence of the scene. Look at how the thick brushstrokes create a sense of movement and energy. The surface of the canvas becomes a site where the act of painting itself is visible. The dabs of colour next to each other, like the salmon pinks and the blacks, speak to the fauvist style. The intensity of the blues reminds me a little of Gauguin, although Matisse really paved his own way. He reminds us that artists are in constant conversation, pushing each other to see the world in new and exciting ways. It’s like an ongoing game of visual telephone, where each artist adds their own unique twist to the story.