Woman in a Purple Coat

This painting is a masterpiece of Henri Matisse’s mature decorative style. Matisse depicts his model and companion of many years, Lydia Delectorskaya, reclining in an exotic Moroccan costume, surrounded by exuberant patterns. The pulsating color and ingenious variety of lines energize the painting. Matisse used both ends of the brush; he dipped the bristles thickly in black for bold outlines, and he scraped away wet paint with the blunt end of the handle to create white lines of exposed canvas beneath.

With this beautiful work we continue our special month with the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. Enjoy!

P.S. Did you know Henri Matisse was obsessed with goldfish?!

P.P.S. Want to understand how artists like Matisse changed the way we see color, space, and composition? Enroll in our free How to Look at Art course!