“Open Window at Collioure” by Henri Matisse

Henri Matisse was known for many things including the use and placement of bold colors. He began the art designation of Fauvism when he painted a green stripe down the face of his wife. The critics were not kind. A fauve is a wild beast and having others say it looks as if your paintings were done by these beasts is not complimentary.

Matisse was not fazed by these opinions and had a long, prolific career. He painted until he was bedridden in 1941 after a failed cancer surgery. He switched to cut paper and had assistants help him create with this medium until his death in 1954 at age 84. Matisse painted many windows and the view through them. These works seem eerily appropriate in this time of social distancing. The plants on the sill and the boats “parked” on the shore in this work, Open Window at Collioure, 1935, seem relatable now somehow. Have you looked out a window at something beautiful today? May Matisse inspire and inform your view! Happy Noticing!