Flowers and Fruit 1909

Henri Matisse made this painting, Flowers and Fruit, probably in his studio, with oils on canvas. He’s used a juicy palette here - reds, greens, yellows, with dashes of white and blue. I imagine him, brush in hand, circling the canvas. The painting comes into being through trial, error and intuition. Sympathetic to the artist, I can see him stepping back, squinting, adding a dab of red to the poppy, leaning in close again. It's a dance, right? A physical call and response with the painting. The strokes are thick in places, especially on the tablecloth, and the texture gives it a tangible, almost edible quality. See how the dark outlines define shapes, but also flatten the space. Matisse's work speaks to other painters; he takes cues from Cezanne and gives ideas to painters of today. It’s an ongoing conversation across time, inspiring one another’s creativity. Painting is an embodied form of expression, embracing ambiguity and uncertainty. It allows for multiple interpretations and meaning over fixed or definitive readings.