.-The seemingly sketched aspect of the painting, which, I am sure, Matisse struggled and struggled with and worked and re-worked, and which was certainly not as “off the cuff” as it appears.
-The way the yellow underpainting glows through the spaces between the red, creating not a line, but the absence of a line. A work of magic; an extraordinary creation.
The grandfather clock stands guard in the quiet room. The artworks in progress, or completed, are lined up on the floor, the wall, the table—everywhere. Sculpture, ceramics, paintings . . . so much creative output Matisse had!
I’m hesitant to read or watch too many interpretations of Matisse’s work, lest they disrupt my very intimate relationship with him. But if you are interested in this topic, I suggest looking at the MoMA press page for this exhibit, which is succinct and informative.
I also urge you to see the Curator’s discussion of The Red Studio’s underpainting and Matisse’s final addition of the Venetian red paint before he considered the work finished.
But back to my personal experience with Matisse. Athens Art & Frame wrote in a featured artist interview with me in March 2021, “Henri Matisse is a primary influence for René, who says ‘His brevity of lines and use of color has taught me much more than I ever learned in college.’ Everyday beauty is the subject of much of René’s work, which she makes to “help others see what is in their everyday environment with new eyes.”
