Exhibit Review: Matisse: Painter as Sculptor

by Laura Seewoester

Henri Matisse is known for his bright paintings and brilliant use of color, or for his famous (also colorful) cut outs, including his book Jazz. Matisse is not ordinarily known as a sculptor, and didn't even consider himself a sculptor per se, however he would not have created some of his best work if it wasn't for his sculpting. Matisse: Painter as Sculptor at the Dallas Museum of Art and Nasher Sculpture Center provides an excellent portrayal of this different side of the artist and his process.

Many artists that work with both media use a different approach with each. Sculpting for Matisse, however, was more part of the process of creating a painting than it was about the actual sculptures. " I myself have done sculpture as the complement of my studies. I did sculpture when I was tired of painting. For a change of medium. But I sculpted as a painter. I did not sculpt like a sculptor. Sculpture does not say what painting says." Sculpting was very much a part of Matisse's artistic process, so much that he would not have created some of his great works if it wasn't for his work in sculpture. For example, while Matisse was sculpting Reclining Nude I (Aurora), an accident led to the figure falling on its head, becoming ruined. He was able to fix the sculpture, however in the mean time Matisse had started painting Blue Nude: Memory of Biskra.

The process of sculpting lent itself to the paintings to where that he almost combined the two. He started working with his colorful cut-outs, in which he would paint paper and then cut and paste. "Cutting straight into color reminds me of the direct carving of the sculptor." In 1943, Matisse published his book, Jazz, a series of these cut-outs with text written in his handwriting. The book was a popular success, making these images some of Matisse's most recognizable today.