Music 1910

‘Music and colour may appear to have nothing in common, but they follow parallel paths.’ What do you hear when you look at this painting? 🎶 The French painter, sculptor, printmaker and draughtsman Henri Matisse (1869-1954) often explored the theme of music throughout his lifetime. This 1910 oil painting, aptly titled ‘Music’, depicts two musicians performing for three seated figures. All five figures are naked, their skin painted in a bold shade of orange. The fluorescent orange is especially striking against the rich blue of the background. 🌀🟠 Here, Matisse utilises simplified forms and a flattened composition to build the impression of a grassy hill and skyline. When combined with the intense colourism of the piece, this rejection of conventional perspective is abstractly expressive. ‘Music’ is vast in scale at 260 x 389 centimetres, further establishing its sense of presence. 🖌️ Matisse is associated with the Fauvist movement of 1904 to 1908. Les Fauves – ‘the wild beasts’, in English – were known for their experiments with vibrant colour. The artist is often credited as having played a key role in the development of modern art, yet he did not originally plan to pursue an artistic career. After training as a lawyer, Matisse turned to the visual arts following a period of illness. During bed rest, he was gifted an art set by his mother. 🎨 ‘Music’ (1910) forms one painting in a pair commissioned by the Russian businessman Sergei Shchukin (1854-1936). Shchukin was a keen collector of Post-Impressionist art, and displayed this piece in his mansion alongside its sister ‘Dance’ (1910). 💃 Matisse regularly described his art using musical terms, including ‘chord’ and ‘orchestration’. It is often speculated that the artist experienced synaesthesia – a crossover in the sensory pathways of the brain, which invokes multiple unrelated senses at one time. This can involve seeing colours when hearing music. 🎼🖍️ What song would you use to describe this painting? 🎸💭 Editor: Lucy Jude Grantham