Henri Matisse's Progression

Henri Maltisee's Progression

Henri Matisse was a French painter that was very unique in a sense that he practiced many styles of painting. Most artists have a distinct style in a way that their work can be picked out from their similar qualities, but not Matisse. He was a painter that really got in touch with his emotions while painting and the progression of his emotions are clearly observed through the painting The Dinner Table (La Desserte) and a later rendition The Dessert: Harmony in Red. 

Maltisse painted The Dinner Table (La Desserte) earlier in his career. In this painting, he is fairly using representational color with an emphasis on red and maybe a little green as well. The maid setting the full abundant table tells us reveals  that Matisse is in a positive happy mental state.

Matisse painted The Dessert: Harmony in Red later in his career and an obvious change can be seen. The paintings both hold the same points of interest such s the table, the maid, chairs, and a window. However, in this edition, Matisse's main focus is not that of an extravagant table setting but more on the designs on the table and wall. At this point in his career he is painting solely on what he finds the most appealing and at the time he was painting this, it was the patterns. The colors used on the food and the maid are irrelevant while the red used on the table and wall are vibrant and loud.



The drastic change between the two paintings are due to his progressing career and learning new techniques from new mentors such as John Peter Russel. It is a progression to a more abstract style that coincides with a further parting of traditional academic art. Matisse progressed from more traditional style to and abstract style that was based on how he felt with nothing to do with "guidelines".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Matisse
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dessert:_Harmony_in_Red_(The_Red_Room)
http://www.brain-juice.com/cgi-bin/show_bio.cgi?p_id=24