Les deux musiciennes 1921

Henri Matisse made this charcoal drawing, Les deux musiciennes. The soft grey tones are so inviting; it’s a classic example of how he could do so much with so little. You can see how he’s built up the image, adding layer upon layer of charcoal. Look at the way he renders the dress of the standing figure. There’s this beautiful contrast between the solid blacks of the bow at the neck and the almost see-through quality of the skirt. He uses light and dark to suggest depth and volume. Then there’s the way he’s drawn the window behind them: just a few simple lines and shapes, but it creates this whole sense of space. I love how Matisse embraces ambiguity and how the image feels open to interpretation. To me, it resonates with the work of Gerhard Richter, in the way that he also embraces chance and indeterminacy.