Idol 1942

Henri Matisse painted Idol using oil on canvas in 1948. The subject's classical garb is at odds with the artist’s avant-garde style, but this tension is central to understanding the piece in its historical moment. In post-war France, there was a struggle between the desire to return to tradition and the need to create a new, more progressive society. Matisse often drew on historical imagery, but in a modern style, which we can see here in his use of flattened perspective and simplified forms. It is likely that Matisse was inspired by the Roman artworks he saw during his time living in Nice. However, by painting his model in a simplified, almost cartoonish style, Matisse subverts the classical ideal of beauty and challenges the power of art institutions to dictate what is considered beautiful. Art historians consult letters, diaries, and exhibition reviews to understand the environment in which an artist was working, so that we can appreciate the image’s role within a wider social, cultural, and institutional context.