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 ( French, 1869 - 1954 ) Portrait Limited Edition Etching
By Henri Matisse
Located in New York, NY
Medium: Limited Edition Etching Style: Portrait Painting Size: 11 x 15 inches Condition: This artwork is in great condition for its age. Please note: the number edition may vary. ...
Canvas, Etching
Henri Matisse ( French, 1869 - 1954 ) Portrait Limited Edition Etching
By Henri Matisse
Located in New York, NY
Medium: Limited Edition Etching Style: Portrait Painting Size: 11 x 15 inches Condition: This artwork is in great condition for its age. Please note: the number edition may vary. ...
Canvas, Etching
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
$7,595
H 28 in W 22 in D 0.25 in
Summer Afternoon Stroll Watercolor Lower Eastside - Urban Modernist 1936 Signed
By Bernard Von Eichman
Located in Soquel, CA
Summer Afternoon Stroll Watercolor Lower Eastside - Urban Modernist 1936 Signed Stunning New York City urban modernist watercolor titled "Summer Afternoon Stroll" by Society of Six...
Archival Paper, Watercolor
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
$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
Portrait of a Female Nude
Located in Astoria, NY
Leo Feldman (American, XX), Portrait of a Female Nude Figure, Oil on Canvas, signed on top edge and verso, unframed. 30" H x 24" W. Provenance: From the Allen Tucker Memorial Colle...
Canvas, Oil
“Abstract 4”
By Martin Rosenthal
Located in Southampton, NY
Original oil paint on heavy archival paper abstract by the American artist, Martin Rosenthal. Bold, vibrant colors. Signed lower right by the artist and dated 1964. Condition is goo...
Oil, Archival Paper
$13,200Sale Price|20% Off
H 12 in W 9 in
Girl with Braided Hair, Raphael Soyer
By Raphael Soyer
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Raphael Soyer (1899-1987) Title: Girl with Braided Hair Year: Circa 1947 Medium: Oil on canvas Size: 12 x 9 inches; framed size, 19 x 16 inches Condition: Excellent Inscripti...
Canvas, Oil
Untitled (House in the Hills)
By Dorothy Sklar
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Untitled (Houses in the Hills), 1946, watercolor on paper, signed and dated lower right, 14 x 20 inches (image), 24 x 30 inches (frame) Dorothy Sklar was a popular and prolific Los ...
Paper, Watercolor
Children's Theater
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Children’s Theater, 1934, watercolor on paper, signed and dated lower right, 10 ¾ x 12 5/8 inches (image) Children’s Theater is a fine example of Berlandina’s modernist approach to ...
Paper, Watercolor
$9,500
H 31.5 in W 26.25 in D 1.5 in
“Guitar Player in Recife, Brazil, 1886” Pernambuco Brazilian Coast Oil Signed
Located in Yardley, PA
“Guitar Player in Recife, Brazil, 1886” by Ferdinand Piereck (1844-1925) An extremely rare 19th century painting of a Brazilian guitarist by Austrian-Brazilian artist Ferdinand Pier...
Canvas, Oil
$685
H 20 in W 24 in D 0.13 in
A Striking, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Surrealist Architectural Scene / Set Design
By Andre Delfau
Located in Chicago, IL
A striking, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Surrealist architectural scene / set design by notable French stage, costume and fashion designer, Andre Delfau (1914-2000). Depicting the drama...
Paper, Gouache
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