Red is the color of the heart, thus love and passion. Valentine’s Day is an occasion when men think "red" and traditionally buy red roses for their sweetheart.

Then there is Henri Matisse, a famous 20th century French artist who painted with red as if it were the subject matter. Considered Post-Impressionistic, Matisse was the leader of the Fauves; translated: wild beasts. Fauvism was a movement that was short lived because the artists’ styles were so individualized. Also at this time, Cubism was taking hold with works by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque.
Matisse’s fellow artists: Bonnard, Lautrec, and Munch also were known for painting in bright colors.

No painting is more vividly red than Matisse’s "The Red Studio" (1911).
The empty space of the picture is as important as the figures and objects that are carefully placed on this wash of color. Matisse was considered a "genius of omission," and we can clearly see why in this fine example. I wondered if these items could be an arrangement of Matisse’s favorite things.

What makes this painting so extraordinary is its simplicity, and the arrangement of line and color on a flat plane. This is the genius of Henri Matisse.


If you love the color red, you'll love this print of Matisse's "The Red Studio."


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