Lecture Notes: 10 Interesting Facts about Henri Matisse

Introduction

• Presenter: Paul Priestley
• Topic: 10 interesting facts about the French artist Henri Matisse
• Audience: Young people and interested amateurs

Fact 1: Early Life

• Born in 1869 into a prosperous family
• Studied law due to parents' ambitions
• At age 22, after an appendicitis, began painting during convalescence
• Decision to pursue painting over law displeased his father

Fact 2: Art Education

• 1892: Failed entrance exam for the École des Beaux-Arts
• Persisted by showing his drawings to tutors daily
• Invited to classes by Gustave Moreau
• Gained entry to École des Beaux-Arts in 1895 at age 26

Fact 3: Personal Life

• 1894: Girlfriend Caroline gave birth to daughter Marguerite
• Caroline worked as his housekeeper
• Matisse was supported by her while he painted

Fact 4: Influence of Cézanne

• 1900: Bought a painting by Paul Cézanne
• Considered Cézanne the 'god of painting'
• Matisse's style evolved by integrating Cézanne's ideas

Fact 5: Fauvism

• Met artists André Derain and Maurice de Vlaminck in 1905
• Developed Fauvism: very bright, colorful, and avant-garde style
• Family viewed Matisse's new friends as bohemian

Fact 6: Moroccan Influence

• 1912: Visited Morocco, fascinated by light and color
• Inspired by men gazing at goldfish in cafes, leading to new motifs in his work

Fact 7: Relationship with Lorette

• Married Amélie Noellie Parayre in 1898
• 1917: Traveled to South of France with Italian model Lorette
• Painted 50 intimate paintings of Lorette in Nice

Fact 8: Commercial Success

• Late 50s: Paintings began selling well
• 1924: Negotiated higher gallery commissions
• Exhibition sold out in one day

Fact 9: War and Recovery

• Developed cancer during WWII
• Successful surgery in 1941 left him an invalid
• Nursed back to health by nuns, motivated him to design their new church

Fact 10: Later Years and Legacy

• Bedridden but continued creating art using collages
• Created with scissors from colored paper
• Produced renowned collages, considered some of the best

Conclusion

• Encouragement to like and subscribe to the channel for more art history content.