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Henri Matisse (1869-1954) View Henri Matisse's Art Prints Henri Matisse was born in the north of France at Le Cateau-Cambresis in 1869. It was not until he was 21 years old that he became interested in painting as a career. In 1891, Matisse began studying at the Academie Julian under Bouguereau. In 1892, he transferred to Gustave Moreau's studio at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. His first successful show was made in 1896 at the Salon de la Societe Nationale des Beaux Arts. Matisse was largely influenced by the impressionist artists who preceded him, but it was not until 1902 that his own style was fully developed. In 1905 and 1906, Matisse painted with Marquet in Paris. One of his most celebrated works of that period is "Open Window, Collioure" which employed Impressionistic pastel colors and caught a glimpse of the surroundings outside his window. After his time spent with Marquet, Matisse's style reached its peak. Matisse headed the then newly found art movement called Fauvism. His works abandoned the use of light colors; instead, he used darker, richer hues which resulted in grand scale works of art, all in a decorative style. Matisse's journey's took him to places such as Munich, Seville, Moscow and Tangiers between the years of 1910 and 1914. After this time, he lived in Coullioure, Paris and Mice. Finally, in 1918, an exhibition featuring the works of Matisse, as well as Picasso, opened at the Guillaume Gallery. After World War II, Matisse was taken ill and was confined to his bed. It was at this time that he began to create book designs and illustrations. One of his most unique books is entitled Jazz and was published in 1947. The piece entitled The Clown From Jazz was originally published in this book. At the end of Matisse's life, he is known to have reflected on the past in such a way that he was finally able to understand his own "rebellions." View Henri Matisse's Art Prints

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