Female toilets 1907

Henri Matisse made this painting with oil on canvas, and it now lives in The Hermitage Museum in Russia. Matisse’s brushwork is so confident! The colours feel unexpected, yet so considered and sensuous. The background is an atmospheric wash of ochre, like a sunny afternoon. The women are drawn with bold, dark lines, like he's carving into the canvas. I like to imagine Matisse capturing a stolen moment between women, a private ritual of care and adornment. The emerald green dress, applied with expressive strokes, creates a lovely contrast with the soft pinks of the women's flesh. What would it feel like to be the artist capturing the essence of these women and their private world? The tilt of the head, the gentle touch – I can almost feel the weight of the moment. Matisse had a playful understanding of the history of painting. I see him in conversation with other artists like Cezanne and Renoir, taking painting in his own direction. Painting is such a gift because it has a way of opening up new ways of seeing and thinking about the world around us.