Hojas

Henri Matisse

circa 1943

Hojas by Henri Matisse, circa 1943

Matisse sketched these delicate floral studies, titled 'Feuilles' (Leaves), around 1943 as a way to find calm during a turbulent war. The page looks like a playful doodle pad where he experiments with simplifying the complex shapes of geranium-like flowers into their most essential forms. You can see him trying out different angles and loops, almost dancing with the pencil to capture the plant's spirit. Those few blue lines in the bottom left corner hint at the colorful paper cut-outs he would soon embrace when his health declined.

Technique
Pencil and ink on paper
Material
Paper
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