A young Frenchman was roaming around his house pondering what to paint.  Taking his easel, palette and tubes of paint he went out to his garden thinking that he would get an idea or two there.  He sat on the steps of his front porch of his old Moroccan house and started watching.  He was Henri Matisse, the famous artist of the twentieth century.

         Henri Matisse was born on December 31, 1869 at Le Cateau-Cambresis in France.  His father was a prosperous grain merchant and his mother was an artistic woman who made hats and paints of China.  He married Amelie Parayre from Toulouse, France in 1898.  They had two sons.  
 
     Henri was never interested in art while he was growing up.  His father expected him to either work at their store or become a lawyer.  So Henri chose to go to Law school but found it really boring.  One day his mother gave him a box of paints so he would have something to do.  Suddenly he was no longer bored.  Henri found out he loved to paint.  He got a job as an assistant lawyer.  He took some art courses before going to work and was spending more and more time drawing and painting. He decided to become a full time artist.

     Henri went to study art at a famous art school in Paris, France.  He worked very hard studying all the things needed to become a good artist.  He also took up a municipal evening course in sculpture.  He was not a popular student and many didn't like him.  Henri did not like the way they taught art in the school.  He had a style of his own.  One of his teachers took special interest in him.  His name was Gustave Moreau.  He felt that Henri had great talent and that he would become a great artist someday.

     Henri traveled to find new things to paint.  He liked to paint bright and dark colors.  So he went to places that were bright and sunny. On one of his trips he met the Impressionist artist named John Russell.  He liked the way Russell used bright colors.  He also liked other Impressionist painters like Claude Monet and Camellia Pissarro.  Soon he began to add more colors in his own paintings.  He painted flowers, fruits and glassware.  He also used still-life and used models.  His wife Amelie also modeled for him in many of  his paintings. 

     Henri was always looking for new ways to improve his art.  He now began to use lighter and calmer colors and lots of decorative lines.  When he was visiting Algeria, he saw lots of exciting designs on carpets, wallpaper and people’s clothing there.  He began to add these designs to his paintings.   

        As an artist, Henri Matisse was much more than a painter.  He was famous for his sculptures and line drawings too.  In 1948, he designed an entire chapel.  He created the stained-glass windows, murals on the walls, floor designs, furniture, and even the priest's robes.   His unique style of painting is famous all over the world. Henri Matisse is one of the most creative artists.  His use of the bright colors, beautiful lines, simple shapes all of these elements make the painting come out alive.

     Henri Matisse died on November 3, 1954, at the age of 84.  By the time he died, his artwork was known all over the world.

Researched and written by Shuba K.
Mrs. Sunda's 3rd Grade Gifted Class

Sources:
A Weekend with Matisse by Florian Rodari
Matisse from A to Z by Marie Sellier
Henri Matisse by Mike Venezia

Woman in Kimono

The kimono's long silky draperies droop about the woman,

The black satin sash standing off against the vivid designs of the kimono,

The ruby red necklace perched on her neck like a parrot in its cage,

The delicate design on the blouse blending with the rest,

The color and beauty of this painting is sparkling,

This is the kind of art that makes Matisse most rewarding.

                                                    written by Shuba K.