Grades 7-12 Pre-gallery visit activities Meet the Artist: Henri Matisse
Warm up questions Who was Henri Matisse? What do you already know about the artist? What would you like to find out about the artist or his work?
Meet Mr. Matisse! Bonjour, les étudiants! I am a French painter, printmaker, sculptor and designer. I’m just kidding… My name is Henri Matisse. Nice to meet you! Let’s explore some of my artwork together before your visit to the AGA! Map of France Le Cateau-Cambrésis Where I was born in 1869 Nice Where I lived until 1954
Bright colours, bold patterns What do you see in this painting? When I first started painting like this, people called me a fauve, a French word meaning wild beast! What does it remind you of? Why do you think I used so many colours? Woman in a Purple Coat, 1937
Simple Lines In my prints, I preferred to use black and white over colour! Why do you think I chose to do this? What types of line do you see? Nadia with a Serious Expression, 1948 Nadia with Pointed Chin, 1948 Nadia in sharp profile, 1948 I liked to use the fewest lines possible to capture a facial expression!
Towards the end of my life, I started making gouache cut-outs…my scissors were doing the drawing! What is happening in this work of art? How is it different from the paintings and prints you just saw? How do you think this work of art was made? I hope you enjoy my exhibition at the Art Gallery of Alberta! The Funeral of Pierrot from Jazz, 1947 Gouache Cut-outs
Image Sources Henri Matisse Femme au manteau violet (Woman in a Purple Coat) 1937 Oil on canvas 37 7/8 x 25 11/16 in. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Henri Matisse Nadia with a Serious Expression (Nadia au regard serieux), 1948 Lift-ground aquatint 345 x 278 mm. Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation Duthuit 793 Henri Matisse Nadia with Pointed Chin (Nadia au menton pointu), 1948 Lift-ground aquatint Sheet: 660 x 500 mm. Plate: Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation Collection: Promised gift to the Baltimore Museum of Art R Henri Matisse Nadia in sharp profile, (Nadia au profil aigu) 1948 Lift-ground aquatint 435 x 348 mm. Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation Duthuit 810 Henri Matisse, French, The Funeral of Pierrot from Jazz, 1947 Color stencil (pochoir), 420 x 324 mm. (16 9/16 x 12 3/4 in.) The Baltimore Museum of Art: The Cone Collection, formed by Dr. Claribel Cone and Miss Etta Cone of Baltimore, Maryland BMA