Reading Woman, Daydreaming 1921

Curator: Immediately striking, isn’t it? Such a warm, enveloping colour scheme. Editor: Absolutely. Today, we are looking at Henri Matisse's "Reading Woman, Daydreaming" created in 1921 using oil paint. It’s a fantastic example of his signature style. Curator: That title really draws you in. A 'reading woman' and then this suggestion of escaping the everyday...books themselves have always symbolized so much possibility. Notice the woman's slightly unfocused gaze? She is present yet absent, anchored by the open book next to her hand. Editor: I agree, but what first grabs me is the tension between the flat planes and the depth suggested through compositional choices like the positioning of the mirror. And, look at those expressive brushstrokes! The colors are almost fauvist, those reds and pinks… yet softened, tempered, not nearly as strident. Curator: Those floral patterns in her dress certainly hint at themes of liberation, both her dress and the blossoms reflected in the mirror represent the freedom of that inner imaginative space the painting hints at. Editor: And that space also becomes accessible to us by how he constructs and articulates the material elements. This is how Matisse draws us in; those contrasts of vibrant color balanced by careful observation. Curator: These images become potent triggers to stir deeply rooted sensations. A mirror implies not just a visual likeness but also our capacity for self-reflection; this, to me, is the ultimate symbolism of “Reading Woman, Daydreaming” by Matisse. It’s not just what the painting represents, it’s how it represents what the reading woman represents, if that makes sense? Editor: Beautifully put. It really shows that through surface analysis of shapes and forms, an aesthetic is crafted; that of 'reading' and 'daydreaming.' So that we become, also, active participants. We are inside and outside this very intimate moment that he created and trapped in paint, for us to enjoy again and again.