Mrs. Keyfitz's Art Blog

Art Inspiration, Discussion & Appreciation




Green Stripe (Madame Matisse) by Henri Matisse (1905) What we learned- Matisse was the founder of an artist group called the Fauvists, which is French for “the wild beasts,” a derogatory term given the group by an art critic because of their lose style of painting. Matisse’s acidic color palette was a signature of his, as well as the Fauvists. Towards the end of his life, Matisse was unable to properly hold a paintbrush and requested his assistants tied them to his hands. In addition to painting, Matisse also gained fame for his paper cut-outs (cf. “Icarus”) which was another technique he discovered as a result of his failing health. Discussion Questions- What does Matisse’s color palette in this painting tell us about his subject? If you were Matisse’s subject, how would you feel about having your portrait painted in such a manner (esp. with a stripe down the middle of your face!)? What do you think lead Matisse to explore this bright, lose style of painting?  What does it tell us about him or what was going on in history at the time?

Green Stripe (Madame Matisse) by Henri Matisse (1905)

What we learned-

  • Matisse was the founder of an artist group called the Fauvists, which is French for “the wild beasts,” a derogatory term given the group by an art critic because of their lose style of painting.
  • Matisse’s acidic color palette was a signature of his, as well as the Fauvists.
  • Towards the end of his life, Matisse was unable to properly hold a paintbrush and requested his assistants tied them to his hands.
  • In addition to painting, Matisse also gained fame for his paper cut-outs (cf. “Icarus”) which was another technique he discovered as a result of his failing health.

Discussion Questions-

  1. What does Matisse’s color palette in this painting tell us about his subject?
  2. If you were Matisse’s subject, how would you feel about having your portrait painted in such a manner (esp. with a stripe down the middle of your face!)?
  3. What do you think lead Matisse to explore this bright, lose style of painting?  What does it tell us about him or what was going on in history at the time?

Notes