Corner of the Artist's Studio 1912

Henri Matisse made this painting of a corner of his studio with oil on canvas. Can you imagine the lush, almost wet strokes he must have made to depict the scene? I can almost feel the brushstrokes, thick and juicy, building up the textures of that green vase. It's like he's not just painting an object but conjuring its very essence. I bet he was so in the zone, maybe thinking about Cezanne, and how to create space, with colour. He was good at it. Look at the way the green of the vase melts into the green of the floor, blurring the lines between object and setting. Then notice the vibrant yellow chair, and the blue patterned curtain, giving it a stage-like presence. It all reminds me that painters are constantly riffing off each other across time and space, in this endless exchange of ideas. Painting is embodied thinking. It is a conversation that welcomes ambiguity, with infinite interpretations.