Whether working as a draftsman, a sculptor, a printmaker or a painter, Henri Matisse was a master of color. Although classically trained at the Académie Julian, in Paris, he quickly abandoned traditional techniques and genres to pioneer a style all his own, marked by quick, gestural strokes and fluid contours.
Along with fellow painter André Derain, Matisse was the leading proponent of Fauvism, a movement whose name is derived from the French word for "wild beast.” Marked by vibrant hues, Fauvist paintings like Matisse’s famous 1906 composition Le Bonheur de vivre use wild, active brushstrokes and a palette unconstrained by nature, resulting in women with purple skin and trees with orange leaves. Often, these compositions unite pure color with the white of exposed canvas to create a sense of transparency and light.
In addition to masterful landscapes and still lifes, Matisse loved to paint erotic subjects, particularly the female nude. Rejecting strict realism, he distilled the form into its essential parts and then translated these into voluptuous, rounded contours. With its striking colors and sculptural modeling of the figure, Odalisque couchée aux magnolias is among Matisse’s most famous works — and the most expensive work of his ever sold — depicting Henriette Darricarrère, his muse and favorite model for around seven years, lounging luxuriously in his Nice studio. In pictures like the lithograph Nu Bleu, he explored the expressive power of a body in motion by placing his figures in twisted or contorted poses, transforming their limbs into tangles of color and shape that push figure painting toward abstraction.
Find original Henri Matisse prints, sculptures and other art on 1stDibs.
Henri Matisse Drawing Of A Nude Torso From Matisse Estate
By Henri Matisse
Located in Dallas, TX
Henri Matisse (French 1869-1954) Pencil Drawing Of A nude torso Catalogued as Number Z 542 in the Artist Archives Pencil on paper, c. 1900. Sheet: 9 3/8 x 11 3/4 in. Framed: 22...
Paper
Henri Matisse Crayon Drawing Direct from Matisse Estate
By Henri Matisse
Located in Dallas, TX
Henri Matisse (French 1869-1954) Pencil Drawing Of A Working Horse Catalogued as Number Z 548 in the Artist Archives Pencil on paper, c. 1900, signed with initials 'HM' lower right....
Paper, Crayon
Henri Matisse Pencil Of Nude By Chair From Matisse Estate
By Henri Matisse
Located in Dallas, TX
Henri Matisse Original Pencil On Paper Study Of A Standing Nude Next To Chair Pencil on paper Unsigned. Sheet: 8.85 x 13.75 Inches Framed: 25....
Paper
Patchwork Abstracted Landscape
Located in Soquel, CA
Abstracted landscape by an unknown artist (20th Century). The landscape is made up of patches of color, reminiscent of viewing agricultural land f...
Paper, Pastel, Ink, Watercolor, Newsprint, Tissue Paper
Bloom I - Floral Flower Abstract Mixed Media Oversized Artwork
By Sally K
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gazing at Lebanese American artist Sally K.'s floral artworks is consuming and empowering. Inspired by the endless variety of beautiful flowers, she creates pop-realistic paintings t...
Canvas, Acrylic, Oil Pastel
We All Together
By Andrei Zadorine
Located in Atlanta, GA
As an aesthetic movement, Abstract Art has had its time, at least in terms of being the dominant style of modernism. Fine art can be recognisable again, and Realism is once again rec...
Oil
$3,200
H 49 in W 37 in
"Falling Squares" Abstract, Linear, Muted Colors, Acrylic
By William Antonow
Located in Detroit, MI
SALE ONE WEEK ONLY "Falling Squares" is a rich gouache painting by William Antonow. Though the colors are muted they blend in a harmony that contrasts slightly with the falling squares that bring a movement to the piece. One of the original Cass Corridor artists from the 1960s William Antonow studied at the School of the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts (now the College for Creative Studies) and at Wayne State University, where he received his BFA (1967) and MA (1970.) Other well-known individuals who taught or studied at Wayne State University and are connected with the arts are Arthur Danto, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Susan Aaron-Taylor, Tyree Guyton, Hughie Lee-Smith, Philip Levine, Casey Kasem, Helen Thomas, Sergio DeGuisti, Stanley Rosenthal...
Paper, Acrylic
Thom O'Connor Pastel on Paper "The Model #5"
By Thom O'Connor
Located in Detroit, MI
"The Model #5" is a pastel on paper showing a nude female figure emerging from what appears to be an evening darkening mist where a distant landscape is suggested or perhaps she is e...
Pastel, Paper
$3,000
H 18 in W 18 in
Spring Landscape acrylic and pastel painting by Fred Martin
By Fred Martin
Located in Hudson, NY
Exhibited: 1973 San Francisco Museum of Art 2003 Oakland Museum of California "Fred Martin Retrospective" A native Californian, Fred Martin was born...
Masonite, Pastel, Acrylic
$607Sale Price|20% Off
H 2.68 in W 2.56 in D 0.04 in
Contemporary Hiroshi Yasukawa Signed Abstract Artwork
By Hiroshi Yasukawa
Located in Roma, IT
Modern Hiroshi Yasukawa Signed Abstract Painting Important abstract minimalist work representing a circle crossed by a conceptual monochrome stripe typical of the great Japanese ar...
Paper, Oil
$1,200
H 17.75 in W 14.75 in
1950s "Eve" American Modern MidCentury Figurative Gouache & Oil Pastel
By Donald Stacy
Located in Arp, TX
Donald Stacy "Eve" c.1950s Gouache and oil pastel on paper 14x17" black wood frame 14.75"x17.75" Unsigned, Eve written in paint along right margin Came from artist's estate Donald S...
Paper, Gouache, Oil Pastel
$2,500
H 32 in W 39.5 in
Untitled Abstract Landscape Oil Pastel Painting Figurative Abstraction
By John Evans
Located in Surfside, FL
John Evans (American, b. 1945), Untitled oilstick on paper, signed in pencil lower center, gallery label (Allan Stone Gallery, New York) affixed verso, sheet: sight size is 22"h x 3...
Paper, Oil Pastel
$430
H 17 in W 13.75 in
1950s "Red Sun" Mid Century Abstract Art Students League NYC
By Donald Stacy
Located in Arp, TX
Donald Stacy "Red Sun" c.1950s Gouache and oil pastel on paper 13.75" x 17" unframed Unsigned Came from artist's estate *Custom framing available for additional charge. Please expect framing time between 3-5 weeks. Donald Stacy (1925-2008) New Jersey Studied: Newark School of Fine Art The Art Students League...
Paper, Oil Pastel, Gouache
El Centro, Puerto Rico
By Tom Irizarry Studio
Located in Booklyn, NY
El Centro, is a relatively new area in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This picture depicts The Convention Center seen here in the shadow of a Caribbean sunset. Unusual, rare pigments used i...
Oil, Pigment, Archival Paper
$5,650
H 7.5 in W 9 in
"Festival I" (FRAMED) Abstract Drawing 7.5" x 9" in (1965) by Zaccaria Zeini
Located in Culver City, CA
"Festival I" (FRAMED) Abstract Drawing 7.5" x 9" in (1965) by Zaccaria Zeini Medium: ink on paper Signed and dated Zaccaria El Zeini (1932 - 1993) was raised in the popular distri...
Paper, Ink
Nu Bleu III
By Henri Matisse
Located in Naples, Florida
Nu Bleu III
Lithograph
Vue de Belle-île by Henri Matisse
By Henri Matisse
Located in New Orleans, LA
Henri Matisse 1869-1954 French Vue de Belle-île Signed "Henri Matisse" (lower right) Oil on canvas A kaleidoscope of color and texture, Henri Matisse’s Vue de Belle-île captures the sublime beauty its namesake–a small island off of the Brittany coast. A rare early painting from the artist’s prolific body of work, this composition reflects a pivotal moment in the artist’s career when he began to turn away from the traditional style and muted colors he practiced in the Beaux-Arts studio of Gustave Moreau and experiment with a more vibrant and creative palette. Matisse made his first pilgrimage to Belle-île in 1895. Initially, the task of capturing the unbridled power of the rough seas and rugged coast intimidated the young painter, and he quickly left. Matisse returned the following summer, determined to brave the elements with an open mind and master his renderings of the seaside landscape. Matisse befriended John Peter Russell...
Canvas, Oil
La Chute
By Henri Matisse
Located in Palm Desert, CA