From Three-Dimension to Two-Dimension: The Formation of Henri Matisse’s Painting Style

Abstract

Through his life as a pupil in his early years and the transformation into a Fauve (wild beast), Henri Matisse learnt that he must forgo the traditional techniques of the masters and understand art in his own way. He first replaced the color scheme in his paintings with purer colors and clearer outlines of color ranges; in his later life, he devoted himself to two-dimensional coloring and finally to two-dimensional paper cut-outs. Therewith, a unique style brought forth by Henri Matisse took shape, ushering the diversification of the drawing medium. Since then, paintings are no more confined to rigid classicism, which only explores the relationship between colors in sketch-based three-dimensional spaces, but a reflection of the painters’ scrutiny of the nature of painting.