Henri Matisse, La Musique, 1939
The female figure was a recurring theme in many of Henri Matisse’s paintings, as can be seen in the Albright-Knox Art Gallery’s 1939 painting La Musique.
The painting is all about balance and repetition. The simplicity of appearance masks a work that was a challenge to create compositionally. To construct a harmonious balance between the two figures, Matisse used a series of repeating lines and forms in the objects around them. For instance, the diagonal line of the woman’s legs in the lower left corner of the painting continues up through the guitar. The shape and pattern of the piece of fruit is repeated in both the hole of the guitar and the seat cushion.
The attention to compositional detail in this work supports Matisse’s artistic philosophy, the belief that every detail is expressive and every element of a painting—the figures, the objects, and the empty spaces around them—plays a part in the work as a whole.
For more information on Henry Matisse and his artworks go to: https://www.artsy.net/artist/henri-matisse
Copy painted by: Derek Kosbab
Original artist: Henri Matisse
Copy: Acrylic on canvas
Title: La Musique
Size of copy: 75.5cm x 101.5cm
Size of Original: 260cm x 389cm
Date of copy: 2012
Date: 1910
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