Interior at Nice
Henri Matisse
HENRI MATISSE, 1919. OIL ON CANVAS.
Matisse had spend the decade preceding this work systematically dismantling centuries of art historical traditions. He revolutionised colour, perspective and form in bold works that almost single-handedly ushered in a new modernism, to rave reviews from the academic, artistic establishment and criticism and disdain from much of the general public. So when, after this revolutionary run of creation, he escaped Paris to settle in an isolated area of Nice and began to paint a series of works that seem almost fit for a postcard, the reaction was one of surprise above all. The paintings return to a figurative impressionism, and to many they seemed a betrayal of the new world that Matisse himself had begun, a step backwards away from progress and challenge and into safety, comfort and mundanity. Matisse, however, saw things differently; “I am seeking a new synthesis”, he said, “In which I have combined all that I have gained recently with what I knew and could do before.”