Seated Figure, Tan Room 1918

Henri Matisse made this painting, Seated Figure, Tan Room, with oil on canvas. The brushwork is so apparent; everything's built up from short, descriptive marks. The ochre palette is anchored by a flash of red and some cool greys. It's all so economical; he's doing so much with so little! Look how the figure seems to emerge from a network of these rhythmic touches, almost as if Matisse is building her up, layer by layer, right in front of us. There’s a beautiful passage where the figure’s black sock meets the tan-coloured floor; the marks are quite crude, yet it’s so carefully observed. It feels close to Die Brücke artist Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, but softer, warmer somehow. Matisse invites us to observe how he sees, rather than what he sees. This openness is something all artists strive for.