As the leader of one of the century's first art movements, Henri Matisse influenced the art world with his boldness in color and aggressive style of making art into an object instead of representation of reality. The movement was Fauvism, and like it's literal meaning of "wild beast", Fauve painters led by Matisse painted their work with an animal like passion. Using bold strokes and swift movements, Fauve paintings were very bright and lively, a new concept to the art world at the time in 1905.
Matisse's style of painting evolved as years went by, but his scheme of using colors with matching shapes was always present. Matisse painted Dance in 1910 and it is one of the most famous paintings in the world today.
Some people may see Matisse's works at a quick glance and view it as a child's work because of its messy looking style, but after a longer look, it is easy to appreciate the extreme colors and the picture as a whole. Matisse painted more for decoration rather than through sensationalism or other
artistic emotions. Like Picasso, Matisse was a famous artist during his lifetime and was able to accumulate a large fortune through sale of his works.
Unlike some famous artists who have suffered tragedy or made a world of a difference with one particular painting, Matisse's influence and existence was subtle yet effective. He shocked the world with his amazing colors and produced great works throughout his life which will forever leave a mark on this century.
Dance, painted in 1909-1910, is one of Matisse's best works and perhaps one of the best paintings of this century.
20th Century's Most Influential Artists
Henri Matisse: Master of Color
by Peter Kang
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