Losange 1946 - 1947

Curator: Let’s turn our attention now to Henri Matisse's "Losange," created between 1946 and 1947. This piece embodies a striking simplicity. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by how playful it feels. Red circles like bold cherries dancing around that strong black diamond – it's deceptively joyous, considering the period it was made in, so soon after the war. Curator: Indeed. It's interesting to consider it within the context of Matisse's late career. He was, at this point, largely confined to his bed, and developed this paper cut-out technique—maquettes, as he called them—as his primary mode of making. Editor: Cut-outs, really? That explains the pureness of those shapes, almost child-like, but with such sophisticated placement. Makes you consider the role of physical limitations in fueling pure creativity. Almost like he was bypassing his hands entirely, letting his mind simply arrange these shapes in the ether. Curator: Exactly. The constraints informed the work entirely. The flatness, the bold colors, all stemming from the materials available to him and his immediate process. He collapses any traditional sense of perspective. It begs the question of where high art starts and simple craft begins, particularly as we consider his studio assistants and their part in his late works. Editor: It's tempting to see it as optimistic or decorative, but you can’t ignore that sharp-edged black diamond at the center; the overall graphic nature reminds one a little of pop art! Curator: Or flags, signals, perhaps even corporate logos. What Matisse does so elegantly is bring these mundane forms to our attention, elevate them with that iconic, bright Fauvist color and pure compositional arrangements. It feels radical still, after all this time. Editor: It definitely does! It has this incredible way of simplifying everything down to just…form. It's a meditation on shapes, isn't it? The push and pull. So, it really embodies the tension of living and creating art through a late, world-historic period. Curator: And for me, seeing the physicality and simplicity of materials laid bare in this painting forces us to question the very labour and constraints that form art as it is presented and perceived. Editor: Wonderful, on that note I'm sure the painting will inspire endless inspiration for whoever looks at it!