Colors of Life
Upon visiting the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, I saw many different varieties of artwork. One such painting that caught my eye was Femme au Chapeau (Woman with the Hat), painted by Henri Matisse (1869-1954). The image was made in 1905 and originated from France. The oil painting on canvas measures 31 ¾ x 23 1/2 inches. The Femme au Chapeau was one of the first of its kind. As a new 20th century emerged, so did a new style of artistry to depict the beauties of the era.The functional purpose of the painting is basically that of a portrait. In this case, the woman in the painting is actually Matisse's wife, Amelie. Most portraits stand alone and are created to preserve the beauty and perhaps characteristics of an individual. This particular painting was "first exhibited at the 1905 Salon d'Automne in Paris," according to the information provided next to the painting, and was later purchased by the Stein family, who were close friends with Matisse. I personally believe Matisse's intention for his artwork was to show it off to the world. It would be a waste to keep it locked up in a house. Most portraits of the era were smooth and consisted of realistic ideals. Femme au Chapeau exposes a new type of portrait for eve
Not many people can capture a person's beauty with such vivid colors. His artwork broke away from society's expectations and created a sense of individualism. The background hues are a bit less saturated, whereas Amelie's image is much more saturated. It is amazing how he was able to use non-realistic colors to produce elegance. Lines do not appear to be of much importance, they only add an outline to certain parts of the figure, such as the top of the hand, Amelie's shoulders, her face, and portions of the hat. According to an Art History textbook, fauves were artists that, "captured the explosive colors and impulsive brushwork that characterized their pictures. This allows her to stand out more and not get washed up in the background. Had Matisse not used these bright colors, he might not have been able to portray the richness of this woman. These contrasts are somewhat hard to see at first. Because color plays such an important role in Femme au Chapeau, there is little emphasis of line. To this day, many can identify Henri Matisse's work before even seeing his signature or looking at the label next to the painting. In some ways, it almost looks as if each brushstroke was intentionally planted in its position. The combination of his loose brushstrokes and "non-naturalistic"(as described in the label accompanying the painting) colors adds excitement to this portrait. The fan depicts an elegant gradation of green from dark to light. One is the overlapping of the fan and her hand.
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Acceptance Essays
