He is comfortable there, and somehow, this feeling of comfort is conveyed by the painting. Matisse noted that freedom is "not following the same road" and his work certainly does not do that. He painted what he felt, rather than what he actually saw, and sometimes these emotions were so strong on the canvas that they put off critics and potential customers. For example, Gretta Moll, who became a major collector of the artist's works, agreed to sit for a portrait by Matisse, but she was extremely dissatisfied with the work. Munson notes that Matisse was devastated by their reaction, "when he showed the Molls the canvas, they were 'completely devastated by the results of my work, which struck them as disastrous'" (Munson 41). However, Matisse stood up to criticism and dissatisfaction, and turned his very unique style into art the art world appreciated and admired. He used his love of painting, and his need for peace and freedom to create artworks that live on long after his...

He felt it set him free and created peace in his life, and his works reflect his happiness, his peace, and his ability to work at what he loved. The vivid colors, the freedom of his subjects, and his joy in life and his own work are all evident in many of his works, and especially the two discussed here. Matisse was a masterful painter who has been called one of the two greatest artists of the 20th century. His work took getting used to, but once collectors and critics began to understand his works, they became more popular, more collectible, and more enduring. He added great depth to the modern art world, and his paintings show his deep love of art, the creative life, and the freedom to do what one passionately loves.