Henri Matisse (1869 - 1954)

Intense colours in conjunction with simple forms make this painting extraordinarily appealing. Its blithe equanimity embodies an ideal formulated by Matisse himself: "I dream of an art that has equilibrium, purity, repose, that is without unsettling, insistent objects, an art that will calm the thoughts of all those who work with their brains, the business man and the man of letters, allowing the mind to recuperate, like a good armchair where one can recover from physical exertion." ___