Madam Matisse - (the Green Line)

The Artwork.

Ð''Madam Matisse' is a rather famous portrait of Matisse's wife, and is a great example of a fauvist artwork, using many bold, bright and contrasting colours throughout the painting. This painting was created using oil and tempura on canvas; tempera being a glutinous water-soluble material such as egg yolk, which is added to painting medium. The paint has been applied in bold, thick and vigorous brushstrokes, in several layers, along with added texture. The green line in the centre of Madam Matisse's face has been well placed as a shadow line, and also in order to prevent the face from sinking into the strong flat colours in the background. The face is also divided into a warm, and cool side, and the brushstrokes also add to the more expressive and creative nature of this painting (rather then realistic).

The Artist.

Henri Matisse was born as the son of a grain merchant in France 1869, and only found his love of art, and his talents at 21yrs of age, beginning to paint after becoming seriously ill. This love of art stayed with him for the rest of his life. After attending a few art classes and being influenced by various post-impressionists and impressionists such as Picasso and Van Gogh, Henri Matisse found his own individual style and became the founding Ð''father' of fauvism. The use of bright and bold colours within his paintings became possible by developments in paint and the newly available bright colours. This portrait was painted in Paris, 1905, during the modern period.

Through this painting, Matisse attempts to express varying emotions surrounding the subject matter (his wife) mainly through the colours used within the portrait. He uses many bright and bold colours, possibly representing the strong feelings towards his wife (warm colours representing love and passion); many red, pink, orange and yellow shades are used within this example. The painting also depicts the fauve movement quite well, its aim to express emotion and energy through the use of these strong colours.

Matisse created this artwork through the layering of oil paint on canvas, several layers being painted to create texture. The oil paint was also mixed with tempera; an old technique using egg yolk within paint to enhance colour; to make it bolder and brighter. This technique allowed the colours to appear even brighter and also contrast more against each other; the contrast of various colours also being an important element in this piece.

Matisse created this work to express his feelings towards his wife, the painting also reflecting the fauve movement quite well, as it was created during the beginning of his career, as he had just discovered and began experimenting with his own style. There are many examples which are similar to this work, also being fauve or using the bright, bold colour which is an important feature of this piece. Such paintings include; Apples(1916), and Girl with green eyes (1908).

Artwork Ð'-World.

The artwork reflects aspects of the world at the time it was created through the use of colour and painting techniques of the fauvist movement, which was a new development of the time. Matisse was one of the most dominant figures in the movement and was also the Ð''founding father'. This new movement was largely influenced by such painters as Van Gogh and Picasso, both whom fauvists greatly admired. The fauvists also tried to translate their feelings into colour on the canvas board, which they applied roughly, in thick strokes, almost clumsily. Their art was rather free, and of a very expressive nature.

These techniques; such as colour use, was made possible due to the developments in paint, and the production and availability of brighter and stronger colour. This was also new to the art world at this time.

Apart from Matisse's new found and developed personal style which is an obvious feature and aspect