Matisse's Joy of Life and Picasso's Demoiselles d'Avignon

¶ … Matisse's Joy of Life and Picasso's Demoiselles d'Avignon

Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso were rivals and friends. There art represents the variety that exists between artists. Both men were drawn to expressing themselves in new and different ways. Neither man was intimidated by the unknown and welcomed different ideas. Their paintings illustrate this point. Matisse was responsible for getting the fauve movement momentum and Picasso was at the forefront of the cubist movement. Matisse's Joy of Life realizes the vibrant nature of the fauve movement and Picasso's Demoiselles d'Avignon demonstrates the characteristics of the cubist movement. Both paintings are different in form even though they are clearly about groupings of women. Vibrant color contrasting with sharp angles reveals different styles but yet they seem to share the common denominator of artist reaching beyond the norm.

Matisse was the forerunner of the fauve painters and his work emphasizes simple design methods coupled with vibrant colors. In Joy of Life, we see the use of unexpected shapes, which provides a new way of not only looking at art but the world as well. This painting reveals how Matisse was intent on new forms of expression. The color contrasts are strong and spontaneous and it becomes the most powerful aspect of the painting. The women are situated on a large canvas of color and the background is bold with bright shades of green and red. The liberal use of color brings the piece to life and the shapes are outlined with Matisse's signature bold form. There are no flat planes of color in this piece. In addition, the primary hues clash on the canvas, causing our eye take in every aspect. Nature is very much a part of this painting as the subjects are involved with it on many levels.

In Demoiselles d'Avignon, Picasso explores with a special forms and depth associated with the cubist movement. This piece represents the break Picasso made with the art of the past. One of the most striking aspects of the painting is the sharp angles. The lines are harsh and this coupled with the lack of depth contribute to a painting that presents itself with Demoiselles d'Avignon. The shading around the figures gives the painting a sense of dimension although it is difficult to discern angles. For example, the background is a combination of fragments and shading. It blends in with the figures of the women to create a complex special effect and continuity throughout the painting. The outlines in this piece are solid and most often create a heavy contrast on the canvas, calling very little, if anything, from nature.