French painter Henri Matisse (1869 – 1954) expressed joy through patterns, ornamentation and vivid colors. Given a paint set while recovering from an illness, Matisse described his discovery of art as “a kind of paradise.” Originally labeled a Fauvist, he produced early works that were remarkably mature. After seeing Impressionist and Japanese art, Matisse made color instrumental to his work, and experimented with expressive abstraction. He also decorated the Dominican nuns’ chapel at Vence, France when he was almost 80. Matisse, who was often nervous, relieved his tension through painting.
This serigraph is an artisan print with a stunning paint-like vibrancy and viscosity. Also known as screen printing or silk screening, serigraphy is a printing process by which inks are forced through a mesh screen and applied to the surface of the print. The result is a brilliantly hued work of art that retains its beauty for a lifetime.