Two Peaches 1920

Matisse created this painting of two peaches on a plate with oil on canvas; you can almost taste the sweetness and feel the fuzzy skin. I can imagine him working in his studio, surrounded by objects and fabrics, all clamoring to be noticed. His eye lands on these peaches; they are ripe, round, and perfect. I love how the peaches sit on that patterned plate, which in turn sits on the table with a decorative cloth, as if on a stage. I imagine Matisse making a thick soup of those colors, yellow ochre mixed with white, maybe a touch of cadmium red light to give it warmth. Matisse painted with confident brushstrokes; he knew what he wanted to say, and he said it with passion and precision. The tabletop is such a jumble of marks and yet it all resolves itself into a whole. Like Chardin before him, Matisse turned the mundane into something monumental. He is still inspiring painters today.