1. Henri Matisse
By Denise Jackson

2. Henri Matisse (1869 – 1953) was one of the most important painters of the twentieth century.

3. Matisse was born in the northern France, but unlike most artists, Henri did not show any interest in art while he was growing up.
Henri grew up in his parents general store and went to law school, but found law very boring.

4. When Henri was recovering from appendicitis, his mother gave him a box of paints to give him something to do. This was when Matisse discovered how much he loved art.
This was the most important moment in Henri Matisse’s life. He was no longer bored and found a love of painting.

5. After Henri recovered from his illness he took an assistant lawyer job and took art courses each morning before work.
It wasn’t long before Henri Matisse decided to become a full time artist. His parents were not happy about his choice, but Henri was able to talk them into letting him study art in Paris, France.

6. Henri had a tough time in art school
Henri had a tough time in art school. He had a lot of catching up to do, starting at a late age. He failed some important exams, and didn’t get along with his teachers.
Art students were instructed to paint carefully and in dark colors but Henri Matisse kept thinking there might be something new he could to do to his paintings.

7. Henri was introduced to Impressionist art by one of his teachers
Henri was introduced to Impressionist art by one of his teachers. He liked how they used bright dabs of colors.
He began to use more bright colors in his paintings.
Henri soon left art school to paint on his own. His colors became brighter and brighter.

8. During the years Henri Matisse was experimenting with his art, he wasn’t able to sell many paintings at all.
Henri met and married his wife, Amelie and they had two sons, during this time. They were poor and hungry waiting for Henri’s paintings to sell.

9. In 1905 Henri and some friends put some of their colorful paintings into an art show. The art caused an uproar.
People were shocked and thought the artists just slopped wild colors on the canvas.
A writer who saw the show named the artists the Fauves, a French word that means “wild beasts”.

10. The Fauve period lasted only a short time for Henri Matisse
The Fauve period lasted only a short time for Henri Matisse. He moved away from the bright clashing color and began to use calmer colors and decorative lines.
He wanted his artwork to give people pleasure and be soothing. By perfectly balancing simple shapes and beautiful colors, his painting seem to make you feel good all over.

11. Sometimes Henri Matisse added decorative lines and colorful patterns to his paintings and he often let the plain white canvas show through. This gives the colors a bright, sparkling feel.

12. In his later years, when most artist slow down, Henri surprised people by creating art that was fresher and more colorful than ever before!
As an artist, Henri was much more than a painter. He was famous for his sculptures and line drawings, too.

13. When he was older and had trouble standing at his easel, Matisse switched to a new form of art that could be done sitting.
Henri cut shapes from brightly colored paper to make some of his most exciting art ever.
He said it was like drawing with scissors and sculpting with color.

14. Henri lived to be 84 years old
Henri lived to be 84 years old. By the time he died, his artwork was know all over the word.

15. Bibliography
Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists: Henri Matisse by Mike Venezia