Matisse and Harlem? I had no idea.

And other things I learned about Henri Matisse

I don’t feel very knowledgeable about art history.

Before I wrote this piece I couldn’t tell you much about Matisse. In fact, someone told me that a still life I was painting had a Matisse feel. I nodded along, but later I had to google Matisse to understand what they meant.

Pot of Geranuims by Matisse (1917) Pick taken on my field trip to National Art Gallery in DC (Oct 2024)

That got me thinking, I want to slowly learn more about art history. So, I thought it would be fun to dedicate some of my Substack posts to sharing my discoveries.

As an aside, this learning experience will not be limited to just googling some shit.

I want it to be analog as well. So, I will be reading hard copy books, watching films/documentaries and going to the museum when possible to see works in person.

Thrifted book (1986) found of Matisse in my local used book store

Found on Amazon - not as good as the thrifted 1986 book on Matisse

Enjoyed going to see Matisse's work in person at the National Art Gallery in DC - they had about 6 works of Matisse on view

Let’s start with Henri Matisse who inspired all this.

I’ve been digging into Matisse’s history for the past few weeks, and I’m honestly walking away with mixed emotions. I find his art to be beautiful, colorful, modern, expressive, simple, and easy to understand AND there’s a hint of exoticizing Black and Brown models in his work.

Yet, he also broke away from the mold of his contemporaries, who often depicted Black and Brown individuals as maids or unattractive figures.

Instead, Matisse challenged tropes in this rare depiction at the time of a Black and Italian woman sitting side by side in a cafe.

Aciha Goblet and Laurette in a cafe by Matisse (1917) Oil on canvas

A photo of Aicha Goblet who modeled for Matisse and many other artists at the time. She was also an actress. I was so fascinated by her that I went down a rabbit hole trying to find more info about her. She is considered to pave the way for Josephine Baker in Paris.

Aicha Goblet by Felix Vallotton, a Matisse contemporary who she modeled for (1922)

Matisse was one of the few artists who intentionally traveled to Harlem to engage with Black artists during the Harlem Renaissance.

His letters and diaries express appreciation for his experiences there, including encounters with Alain Locke, W.E.B. Du Bois, Louis Armstrong, and Billie Holiday. When Paul Robeson visited Paris, Matisse invited him and his wife to stay at his home.

Alain Locke, a Black philosopher who helped spur the Harlem Renaissance in 1925, regularly traveled to see exhibitions in Europe particularly those whose work he thought evoked modern portrayals of Black people.

He named Henri Matisse and Jacob Epstein among the European modernists he admired. He said of Matisse, “looked upon the African countenance and discovered there a beauty that calls for idiom of both color and modeling.”

Woman in White by Matisse (1946). This painting is of Elvira Van Hyfte a Belgian and Congolese Journalist who lived next door to Matisse. He painted her several times.

There’s a fine line between cultural appreciation and cultural vultures. Based on what I’ve read and seen to date, Matisse feels to me to fall in the cultural appreciation side of the coin.

“I try to create a kind of art that every viewer can understand.” Henri Matisse.

Matisse was born in 1869 in Northern France and died in 1954. It’s important to contextualize an artist's life within the timeframe they lived, as this helps us align their experiences with the broader events occurring in the world during their lifetime.

A lot was happening during this period: the U.S. Civil War had just concluded which officially ended enslavement, women’s rights movement, Harlem Renaissance, World War I and II, and colonialism was at its height, beginning to wane in some regions and the beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement.

When he first entered Parisian art circles, Matisse caused a stir.

Matisse’s solo exhibit in 1906 faced heavy criticism, with many people outraged by his use of color, bold lines and “unconventional figures.”

These "unconventional figures" departed from traditional Western norms and integrated elements from his collection of African sculptures from Congo, Ivory Coast, Mali and Guinea.

Blue Nude by Matisse (1907). This work is considered to incorporate adaptations of African sculptures, challenging traditional Western representation of the female nude. Instead of the soft, feminine portrayal, it depicts the woman with defined muscles and strength

Prior to Matisse’s controversial solo exhibit, the art community was accustomed to seeing serene portraits of women in sitting rooms, rendered in muted color palettes.

Matisse comes along and his work is filled with color.

You see, Matisse was not a “stay-at-home” artist. He traveled constantly, especially in North Africa and Tahiti.

The landscape there was filled with palm trees, colorful flowers, red-tiled buildings, blue water, sun, mountains, and lively, expressive people.

Les roses safran devant la fenêtre by Matisse (1925)

During his travels he was exposed to Islamic art, ceramics, Turkish rugs, and Moroccan crafts. These items, rich in color and unique dimensions not commonly seen in the West, made a profound impact on him and he incorporated all of these vibrant details into his art.

Flipping through my thrifted book titled Matisse: The Early Years 1916-1930, published in 1986, I found a section dedicated to his obsession with filling and staging his studio space with textiles to create an aesthetic environment that came to life in his work.

Still Life on Blue Table by Matisse (1947), the red background is a Kuba Central Africa Cloth. He hung many Kuba clothes in his studio. In letters to his sister, Matisse said he stared at the cloth for long period of time for inspiration

He also attended exhibits at the Louvre, which had extensive collections of art from Congo, Turkey, Persia, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and Egypt—much of it looted and from French colonies.

All of this influenced Matisse’s art and deepened his commitment to his personal style.

Blue Nude II by Matisse (1951) painted gouache cut outs when Matisse could no longer stand and paint as a result of stomach cancer. Inspired by visit to Tahiti

In reflecting on Matisse's life and work, I am walking away with several lessons. First, Matisse's journey underscores the importance of perseverance. Despite initial setbacks and criticism, he remained committed to his vision and his unique style.

Laurette with Turban by Matisse (1917) photo by me at the National Gallery of Art DC (Oct 2024)

Also doing this research also made me practice examining an artist in the context of their historical era and consider their sphere of influence. Who/what did they interact with and how did it shape their work? In Matisse’s case, you can see those influences and they were integral to his success.