Li Jia Rui Stella talks on Henri Matisse: Decorative figure in an Oriental Setting (1925)

• full details of the work – artist, title, year, medium, dimensions

        

Artist: Henri Matisse

Title: Decorative figure in an oriental setting/decorative figure in an ornamental background

Year: 1925-26

Medium: oil on canvas

Dimensions: 51 1/8 x 38 5/8 in. (130 x 98 cm)

Location: Musée National d'Art Moderne, George Pompidou Center, Paris

• an explanation of how the work fits into a broader style or movement (eg Realism) and the specific historical context (eg the mid 19^th century in France).

‘fauve’ in French means ‘wild beast’. Fauves were a group of people led by Henri Matisse and two other artists who sought a animated way to depict the nature. Fauvism exploded onto the Paris art scene in 1905. But fauvism is only a short term movement. The bright, pure colour and simplified detail used by the fauves represent a brand new era.

In Decorative figure in an oriental setting, you can both see these two characteristics of Fauvism. The first is the use of bright colour. Looking at this painting, your eyes will be filled with blue, yellow, green, brown, red and many other saturated colours. Just as a critic once comment the works of fauves ‘A pot of paint has been flung in the face of the public’.

The second is the simplified forms. In this painting, not only the figures, but also the background were simplified. The figure and the background were drawn with the most necessary component for us to recognize clearly. Though the detail were left out, the paiting seemed more original and vigorous.

• A description of the work

The bright colour

Matisse regarded colour as a way of express emotion rather than simply copying what the nature looks like. That’s why his always use ‘unatural’ colour. In Decorative figure in an oriental setting, both warm and cool colours were widely used. For warm colours, there are yellow, orange and different kinds of red; for cool colours, there are large areas of blue on the background. The most interesting thing is, Matisse put complementary colours together, which made them highlight each other, like the blue and yellow on the wallpaper. Also, Matisse used a lot of brown, a kind of dull colour, on the background wallpaper, in terms to make the blue and yellow decoration, the green leaves and the yellow-skin figure stand out.

The use of colour is a life-long exploration and experiment for Matisse. Though it seems that his painting were always simply full of bright, pure and even exaggerated colours, the scientific application of colour theory was actually qutie mature in his paintings. In such ways, Matisse successfully provoked the emotion of the views.

The simplified forms

In Decorative figure in an oriental setting, many details were left out. For instance, the left hand of the nude woman was actually really blurry. You can find the same condition in the decorative floral wallpaper-------all the flowers were merely a bunch of colour with very little contours which make them a sense of form and shape. Matisse’s images appear to have been only roughly drawn and painted - just the essential parts were extracted from the image.

Absence of spacial depth

In Decorative figure in an oriental setting, many techniques were used to contribute to flaten the image. Firstly, the black contour. We can see clear black contour at the edge of the figure and other things in this painting. The black contour help to create a flatness. With the black contour, there was no blending of colours, an important means to show layers, thus made the painting lose the spacial depth.

There was no linear perspective to signify spatial depth in the painting; on the contrast, Matisse used his curvilinear forms and bold decorative patterns to highlight the flatness. In this case, the flatten object in the space was emphasized and left out---the nude woman.

The composition

The nude woman was drawn in a pyramid composition. She looks very steady and still, which leads people naturally follow the gaze of the nude woman. Though we know that her gaze was definitely out of the frame, but we still notice the left hand side of the paiting under the ‘leading’ of this woman’s eyes. We see the plant, and then our eyesight go up or down to scan the wallpaper or carpet. The misted gaze of the woman not only made her head the focal point, but also evoke our interest in her mental setting.

• one key quote about the work in question

The curved drapery creates a transition from the still, restful pose of the odalisque to the tilting floor and profusely animated designs of the carpet, wall and flowerpot.

• why this work interests you/ your own opinion of the work

It’s always a delight to look at Matisse’s paintings. His unique way of utilizing the colours in his paintings always give me a feeling of free from constraint. As we know that Matisse once spent the winters of 1912 and 1913 in Morocco for perfecting his color scheme under Mediterranean sun. In late 1910s, Matisse went to Nice, a city in the south of France, and stayed there to continue his artwork. The southern part of France is always an attraction to me. The sunshine from Mediterranean sea, the vineyards, all kinds of fruits, vegetables and flowers. If you had a taste of south of France, you will understand how this place inspired Matisse. Or to say, if you yearned for such a place, you can find satisfaction from Matisse’s paintings of this period---the vivid colours and the exotic atmosphere make you wander in your own imagination of a vigorous and unsophisticated land. Decorative figure in an oriental setting was depicting such a wonderland. Though it was a indoor scene, but it broads your imagination out to the gorgeous view of southern France. Or it does not necessarily need to be southern France. It can be any places that you dream for. Because there was not any implication where the scene was. It can be anywhere, west or east, which depends on where you are longing for when you look at it.

Of course the use of colour is a must-mentioned. Just like other Matisse’s paintings, Decorative figure in an oriental setting also contains a lot of vivacious colours. Matisse once said that he hoped that his artworks could give working people a sense of rest after the labour. I would like to say that he has accomplished his goal. His has undoubtly creatd another world that allows us to release and relax ourselves in it.

• names of authors, titles of articles, books or websites (and publication information) that are especially relevant to this work

Gabriele Crepaldi, Matisse---master of Fauvism, translated by 王娟娟

Art, Dk Publishing, New York

Olga’s Gallery, http://www.abcgallery.com/M/matisse/matisse74.html

Henri Matisse, http://www.henri-matisse.net/index.html

Nancy Doyle Fine Art, http://www.ndoylefineart.com/matisse.html

• a thought-provoking question about the work for the class

What Matisse wanted to convey through the painting of a odalisque in an exptioc scene do you think? Is there any thoughts deep inside or a mere depiction of his days in Southern France with the playing of colours?