Young Girl in Black in Yellow Armchair 1935

Henri Matisse painted "Young Girl in Black in Yellow Armchair" using oils on canvas, and what I see is a commitment to just diving in, headfirst, with color. It's like he's saying, "Let's figure it out as we go!" Look at how the planes of color meet and vibrate – that red floor pushing against the yellow chair, the black dress, all these shapes stacked and tilted. It’s not about getting it right, but about feeling it out. The brushstrokes are loose, like he's sketching with paint. I love the way he models the girl’s black dress with these light and dark strokes. The way the colors aren't blended perfectly actually adds to the painting's charm and expressiveness. Matisse is like the jazz musician of painting. Think about the raw energy of someone like Bob Thompson or even the Fauvist paintings of Derain. It’s all about exploring the possibilities of color and form, and not worrying too much about the rules. It’s this kind of freedom that makes art so alive.