Henri Matisse

Henri Matisse was a French artist, noted for his use of color and his fluid, brilliant and original draughtsmanship. As a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but principally as a painter, Matisse is one of the best-known artists of the twentieth century. His first exhibition was in 1901 and his first solo exhibition in 1904. Matisse’s fondness for bright and expressive color became pronounced when he worked with Andre Derain and spent time on the French Riviera. The paintings of this period are characterized by flat shapes and controlled lines, with expression dominant over detail. He became known as a leader of the Fauves (wild beasts), a group of artists which also included Derain, Georges Braque, Raoul Dufy and Maurice Vlaminck. By 1907, Matisse moved on from the concerns of Fauvism and turned his attention to studies of the human figure