Les Pêches 1940

This is Matisse’s "Les Pêches", and it looks like he made it with some kind of printmaking process, maybe lithography or monotype with some additional work on top. I love the way the peach shapes are described with minimal lines; it’s like he’s coaxing them into existence with just a few strokes. There’s a playful quality to the color choices. See how the reds and pinks bleed into each other, creating this soft, dreamy effect? It’s almost like the peaches are dissolving into the background, which is so flat, so unassuming. The surface has this slightly uneven texture, which gives it a handmade feel. You can almost imagine Matisse’s hand moving across the paper, carefully placing each mark. Matisse's influence is palpable in the work of later artists like Wayne Thiebaud, who also explored the playful depiction of everyday objects. It reminds us that art is always a conversation, a back-and-forth between artists across time.