The Chrysler Museum of Art features a new exhibit on Henri Matisse. Henri Matisse is a master of color and a leader of French artists experimenting in color. When these paintings emerged in the early 1900’s they were ridiculed by contemporary critics of the time. It did not take too long for the critics to be silenced. These works mark the beginning of Fauvism. In his work, `Open Window, Collioure,’ the Mediterranean sea is captured with characteristic bright colors. Simple objects in the paintings take on a clear presence with the effect of color overwhelming almost everything else. Often the paintings show simple pleasures of life, inner contemplation, or basic contentment. He also created paper collages that filled very large frames. Near the end of this early era of Fauvism, a following grew and the works became more formalized. An interesting quote adorns the wall,
I have always tried to hide my efforts and wished my works to have a light joyousness of springtime which never lets anyone suspect the labor it has cost me.
Perhaps that is a fitting quote for any creative profession.