Savoy Alps 1901

Matisse made this small oil painting called Savoy Alps, sometime early in his career, and it's now here in the Musée Picasso. You can see how the paint is laid on, pretty directly, in these separate strokes, like he's trying to grab the light and atmosphere of the landscape in each dab. I’m really drawn to the way he handles the blues and greens. The blues of the mountains feel dense, almost like they're pushing forward. Then there's the green of the meadow which is a mix of quick strokes, building up a vibrating surface. Look at the way he painted the little house; it feels like a tiny anchor in all that nature. It reminds me a bit of Cézanne, but with a brighter, more playful touch. It's like he's not just showing us a landscape, but also how he felt painting it. The painting feels provisional, a bit like a sketch, which is also part of its charm. It invites us to see the world with fresh eyes, alive to the simple joy of colour and form.