Promenade des oliviers 1905

Henri Matisse made this painting on canvas with oils and brushstrokes that are so full of life. Look at the pinks, yellows, and greens swirling together. I can almost feel the sunshine and the Mediterranean breeze! It's like he's not just painting what he sees, but how it feels to be there, walking amongst the olive trees. What was it like for Matisse standing there with his easel? I imagine he loaded his brush with strokes of thick paint and worked quickly, capturing the fleeting light. I wonder if he was thinking about Cézanne when he made this, another painter who loved the south of France? What do you make of the way that the colours seem to vibrate? It’s an invitation into the painting, a generous gesture from one artist to another, across time.