Henri Matisse - The Open Window
The German Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once wrote about “staring into the abyss, and having the abyss stare back at you”.
But with today’s beautiful painting by Henri Matisse, we are presented with an opportunity for the exact opposite. And perhaps by staring for long enough out of this window, our hearts will be brightened by the sheer unadulterated wonder of colour.
Though the “open window” motif is one that appears countless times throughout art history . . . here, Matisse is offering it to us in a whole new way.
We are gazing out through the artist’s own eyes; with a beach scene ahead of us, and plants on our patio, and the sky above so reminiscent of the “fresh, and rosy fingered dawn” which the ancient poet Homer wrote about in his legendary epics.
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But this feeling of pure light is not only limited to the world outside our window here.
In Matisse’s home, even the walls themselves are the colour of blossom! And you may also notice that the contrasting shadows have almost no darkness either; but instead, seem to shimmer in shades of turquoise, green and blue.
Thus a painting which, on first glance, seems childlike in it’s simplicity is in fact an absolute tour de force of colour theory.
For that reason, it is perhaps ironic that works like this are now seen as great icons of the “Fauvist” style that has become so synonymous with Matisse’s work.
After all, the term “Fauvism” can be loosely traced back to a French term for “wild beasts”.
Yet in reality, we find absolutely nothing in this work to be wild, nor beastly!
In fact, the emotional experience is simply one of immense joy. Although, at the same time, Matisse’s refusal to use dark shades here does seem to carry a further philosophical depth too.
You know, so often, we see the world around us in contrasts. (Both in art, and in our general life itself).
Thus the brightest lights also cast the deepest shadows. And hopes come in conjunction with fears. And the happiest times of our life often lead us to periods of great sadness too, when those better days are lost.
But, on some level, I think Matisse’s vision of the world is one where beauty itself can win the day over any contrasts that this life may bring to us.
And so, in spending a bit of time at his open window, we are afforded a moment of escape into this alternate world where light needs no shadow - and where beauty needs no hardship - and where joy brings no pain - and where all of the sadness or troubles or fears of this world can (at least, temporarily) be replaced by a sheer, childlike wonder of living.
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It is a lovely idea, isn’t it!
I love this. That painting is beautiful and uplifting.
As usual, you touch it with a needle. Thanks again