Painted in 1911, “The Red Studio” shows Matisse’s own works strewn about his studio, the walls painted a striking shade of red. About the painting, Matisse commented, “Where I got the color red--to be sure, I just don’t know.” As of 2010, “The Red Studio” is part of the collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
One of Matisse’s later works, created only a year before his death, “The Snail” actually consists of pieces of paper painted with gouache and then torn and arranged in the rough shape of a snail onto the background. An operation left Matisse unable to stand at an easel long enough to finish a painting, so he devoted his time to making paper art, painting and then cutting shapes and arranging them. “The Snail” is part of the collection at the Tate Gallery in Great Britain.
Painted in 1913, “Still Life with Oranges” features many of the distinctive Matisse trademarks: vibrant colors, strong lines, and simple composition. Matisse often painted natural scenes as opposed to people, unlike his friend and sometimes rival Pablo Picasso, who did the opposite. “Still Life with Oranges” is on display at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.
Odalisques, Turkish slave girls, were frequent subjects of Matisse during the 1920s. He often painted them in lush surroundings, reclining, sitting or otherwise lounging with their arms raised or tucked comfortably behind their heads. He often used the same model for his odalisques--a young local woman named Henriette Derricarrier, who was herself skilled in music and art. “Harmony in Red” is currently on exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
One of Matisse’s earliest works, “Open Window” was painted in 1915 and shows a heavy influence of impressionism. Nevertheless, Matisse’s signature bright colors and focus on nature are apparent. “Open Window” is privately owned but is on display at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.