Matisse, Henri Emile Benoît

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Matisse, Henri Emile Benoît (1869–1954) French painter, sculptor, graphic artist and designer. Having experimented with neo-impressionism in paintings such as Luxe, calme et volupte (1905), he developed the style of painting that became known as fauvism. After a relatively brief flirtation with cubism, Matisse turned back to the luminous and sensual calmness that typified his art. He became ill in later life, but produced one of his greatest works, the design of the Chapel of the Rosary at Vence (1949–51). He also started making coloured paper cut-outs, such as L'Escargot (1953). Matisse's most famous sculptures include a series of four bronzes The Back (1909–29).

http://www.hermitagemuseum.org; http://www.artsmia.org

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Matisse, Henri Emile Benoît

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