Yellow Dress with Black Ribbon (La robe jaune au ruban noir) 1922

Henri Matisse made this drawing, Yellow Dress with Black Ribbon, with lithographic crayon on paper. It’s a study in simplicity, and I think that’s what grabs me. He boils the image down to its essence. It’s so immediate, so right there. The magic lies in its texture. Look at how he uses the side of the crayon to create this soft hatching, almost like a whisper of tone, that gently wraps around her form. It’s this delicate balance of shadow and light that gives her presence. Then there's the ribbon, a bold stroke of pure black that anchors the whole composition. It’s playful, and graphic. See how that single black line creates a visual pathway through the image, it’s a total delight. Matisse was a master of line and color, and though this work is minimal in its palette, it shares a certain kinship with the Fauvist paintings he made earlier in his career – the same boldness, the same joy in pure expression. And, like all great art, it reminds us that seeing is a process of discovery, not just of looking.