GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Beginning in the early 20th century, Henri Matisse began making floral still lifes, an interest he maintained for the rest of his life. In the central foreground of this painting, a gold-rimmed white fruit dish, or compotier, is the one object that has clearly defined volume and contour. Behind the compotier, Matisse juxtaposed a bouquet of loosely rendered flowers against the vertical backdrop of a folding screen painted with a floral motif. In his placement of the vase of flowers in front of a flat, floral surface, Matisse challenged viewers to consider which flowers are painted and which are real. He also played with the depiction of space. The depth of the room is suggested through overlapping forms—the table, screen, doorway, and framed artwork—rather than traditional linear perspective, in which the apparent size of an object shrinks as it recedes into space.
Excerpt from
Nicole R. Myers, DMA label copy, 2018.
NOTES
Created 1924
Checked Piction (audio about Cezanne influence not useful)
In the central bouquet of this still life, Henri Matisse’s deft touch describes daisies, roses, and anemones, each flower constructed with confident daubs of pale blue, peach, mauve, yellow, and deep red, while freely applied brush loads of vibrant green define the leaves. Matisse includes an unabashed homage to Paul Cézanne through the elegant compotier, or fruit dish, with five mandarins.
As in Cézanne’s still lifes, spatial ambiguity is a central preoccupation of the artist. Matisse plays with our perception of the relationship between the standing screen in the background and the section of wall visible at right.
Heather MacDonald, DMA Label copy (2012.19.McD), October 2010.
Henri Matisse describes the daisies, roses, and anemones in this still life with a deft touch, constructing each flower with confident daubs of color, while freely applied brushloads of vibrant green define the leaves. Here spatial ambiguity is a central preoccupation. Matisse plays with our perception of the relationship between the folding screen, which forms a backdrop for the fruit and flowers, and the section of wall visible at right. The layering of the flowers against the painted panels of the screen, and the uneasy relationship between the planes of wall, screen, and tabletop, undermines any secure sense of space in this complex meditation on the still-life tradition. The painting remains playful and spontaneous, even as it reveals the full deliberation and control of the artist.
Bonnie Pitman, ed., "Still Life: Bouquet and Compotier," in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2012), 243.
From Dropbox Euro labels 2007-2008:
Through the vibrant colors of fruit and flowers, we see the enactment of Henri Matisse’s wish that his work “have the lightness and joyousness of a springtime.” The space between the table and the folding screen and the placement of the precariously resting fruit bowl give the impression that the scene is tipping forward. Matisse creates an ambiguous space by playing with pattern and design, causing three dimensional objects to straddle flatness and solidity.
Geography is listed as France because he spent most of the year in Nice at this time, but spent summers in Paris
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Place of origin: France (nation): TGN: 1000070
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WEB RESOURCES
- YouTube~Learn more about the artist in 60 seconds in this video from the Royal Academy of Arts.
- Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, St. Louis, Missouri~Read this spotlight essay on a still life by Matisse from the Kemper Art Museum.
- YouTube~Check out this animated video from "Art with Mati and Dada" that provides a great way to introduce children to Matisse.
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General Description
Beginning in the early 20th century, Henri Matisse began making floral still lifes, an interest he maintained for the rest of his life. In the central foreground of this painting, a gold-rimmed white fruit dish, or compotier, is the one object that has clearly defined volume and contour. Behind the compotier, Matisse juxtaposed a bouquet of loosely rendered flowers against the vertical backdrop of a folding screen painted with a floral motif. In his placement of the vase of flowers in front of a flat, floral surface, Matisse challenged viewers to consider which flowers are painted and which are real. He also played with the depiction of space. The depth of the room is suggested through overlapping forms—the table, screen, doorway, and framed artwork—rather than traditional linear perspective, in which the apparent size of an object shrinks as it recedes into space.
Excerpt from
Nicole R. Myers, DMA label copy, 2018.
Fun Facts
Archival Resources
Web Resources
- YouTube~Learn more about the artist in 60 seconds in this video from the Royal Academy of Arts.
- Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, St. Louis, Missouri~Read this spotlight essay on a still life by Matisse from the Kemper Art Museum.
- YouTube~Check out this animated video from "Art with Mati and Dada" that provides a great way to introduce children to Matisse.
Notes
Created 1924
Checked Piction (audio about Cezanne influence not useful)
In the central bouquet of this still life, Henri Matisse’s deft touch describes daisies, roses, and anemones, each flower constructed with confident daubs of pale blue, peach, mauve, yellow, and deep red, while freely applied brush loads of vibrant green define the leaves. Matisse includes an unabashed homage to Paul Cézanne through the elegant compotier, or fruit dish, with five mandarins.
As in Cézanne’s still lifes, spatial ambiguity is a central preoccupation of the artist. Matisse plays with our perception of the relationship between the standing screen in the background and the section of wall visible at right.
Heather MacDonald, DMA Label copy (2012.19.McD), October 2010.
Henri Matisse describes the daisies, roses, and anemones in this still life with a deft touch, constructing each flower with confident daubs of color, while freely applied brushloads of vibrant green define the leaves. Here spatial ambiguity is a central preoccupation. Matisse plays with our perception of the relationship between the folding screen, which forms a backdrop for the fruit and flowers, and the section of wall visible at right. The layering of the flowers against the painted panels of the screen, and the uneasy relationship between the planes of wall, screen, and tabletop, undermines any secure sense of space in this complex meditation on the still-life tradition. The painting remains playful and spontaneous, even as it reveals the full deliberation and control of the artist.
Bonnie Pitman, ed., "Still Life: Bouquet and Compotier," in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2012), 243.
From Dropbox Euro labels 2007-2008:
Through the vibrant colors of fruit and flowers, we see the enactment of Henri Matisse’s wish that his work “have the lightness and joyousness of a springtime.” The space between the table and the folding screen and the placement of the precariously resting fruit bowl give the impression that the scene is tipping forward. Matisse creates an ambiguous space by playing with pattern and design, causing three dimensional objects to straddle flatness and solidity.
Geography is listed as France because he spent most of the year in Nice at this time, but spent summers in Paris
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Place of origin: France (nation): TGN: 1000070
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
rules
Apply To
Objects
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