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Henri Matisse

December 31, 1869 – November 3, 1954

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Life of Henri Matisse

  • Henri Matisse was born on December 31, 1869 in Nord, France

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  • In 1887 he went to Paris and studied to become a lawyer

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  • He first started to paint in 1889 when his mother gave him paints to keep him busy while he was recovering from appendicitis

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  • He decided that painting was “a kind of paradise” and he quit being a lawyer in favor of being an artist

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  • Matisse began as a very poor young artist and often did not have enough money for food. He would eat only rice so that he could afford his paint and props.

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ART WORK

The Purple Robe (1937)

Luxembourg Gardens (1905)

Woman with a Hat (1905)

La Chute d’Icare (1947)

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The Sorrows of the King (1952)

  • Matisse was inspired by the work of Vincent Van Gogh, which transformed his style
  • He began to be successful in his career
  • He made enough money to buy a home
  • He had lots of tropical birds as pets and let them fly free around his home!

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  • Matisse played the violin and warmed up his fingers for painting by playing the violin for hours

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  • In 1939 Matisse had surgery and afterward used a wheelchair

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  • He started making collages from cut paper, which he called “Painting with scissors”

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Today’s Art Lesson

Painting with Scissors!

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  1. Use your scissors to cut fun shapes from lots of different colors

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  • Glue them to create your masterpiece!