Anémones et grenades 1946

This is Henri Matisse’s "Anémones et grenades," and it was painted with oils, but the specific year is a mystery. Have you noticed how he lays down color in these broad, simple strokes? It's like he's not trying to hide the process, but rather reveling in the act of painting. The paint isn't too thick, not too thin, just enough to let the colors sing. He's not trying to trick us into thinking this is real, he’s celebrating the simple pleasure of looking. Take that potted plant on the back wall, for instance. It's like a playful scribble, a few white lines on a black ground, but it works! It's like he's saying, "Here's a plant, but it's also just paint." Matisse reminds me a bit of Bonnard, another artist who loved to play with color and domestic scenes. But where Bonnard gets lost in detail, Matisse strips everything down to its essence. He shows us that art isn't about perfection, it's about embracing the beauty of imperfection.