Blue Dress Reflected in a Mirror 1937

Henri Matisse painted 'Blue Dress Reflected in a Mirror' with oil on canvas using a bright palette, the kind that just sings. I imagine him applying the paint thinly, almost like watercolor washes, letting the colors breathe and mingle. The blue dress is the star, but it's surrounded by an explosion of color – greens, reds, yellows – that jostle for attention. The white lace trim is so delicate and precise that it almost seems drawn on, not painted. I wonder if Matisse was thinking about how reflections change the way we see things – distorting, fragmenting, offering up new perspectives. Matisse was always looking at other painters, and this reminds me of some of Bonnard's interiors. It's like they're having a conversation across time about color and light. For me, this piece embodies the pure joy of painting, where ambiguity reigns, and meaning is always shifting.