The Pewter Jug 1917

Henri Matisse made 'The Pewter Jug' with oil paint and a visible interest in the materiality of representation. You can see how Matisse wasn't trying to hide the way the paint was put on the canvas, but instead, he wanted to show us his process. Look at the folds in the drapery behind the jug. The color is built up in layers, with visible brushstrokes that give the fabric a sense of depth and volume. The paint is applied in a way that captures the light and shadow, almost like he's sculpting with color. Matisse is often compared to painters like Cézanne, who also broke down forms into simple shapes and used color to create space. But Matisse takes it even further, pushing the boundaries of representation and abstraction. He reminds us that painting isn't just about depicting reality, it's about creating a new reality on the canvas.