Morning Tea 1920

Henri Matisse made this oil on canvas painting, called 'Morning Tea', at a time when the traditional roles of women were being renegotiated in Europe and the United States. The image presents a woman in her private domestic sphere. Made in France, its visual codes indicate her relatively privileged position; her dress, the comfortable furnishings, and the tea set are all signs of middle-class domesticity. It’s worth noting that tea drinking was becoming an increasingly popular social activity and, within the home, it became associated with women. As such, the painting reflects the specific cultural rituals and social dynamics of its time. To fully understand a painting like this, we would need to explore details of French social history and the changing roles of women. This can be done through analyzing a variety of written sources such as domestic advice manuals and etiquette guides from the period. The interpretation of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.