Henry Matisse - “The Goldfish”
Henry Matisse - “The Goldfish” 1912 (140 cm × 98 cm (55 in × 39 in)
“The Goldfish” painted by Henry Matisse is one of many paintings Matisse made during his golden age. During this time Matisse had traveled to Monaco to experience life, there he observed many Islamic cultural habits. In a view consistent with other Europeans who visited North Africa, Matisse admired the Moroccans’ lifestyle, which appeared to him to be relaxed and contemplative. Matisse’s stay at Tanglier, Monaco, where he stayed from the end of January until April 1912, inspired his art heavily. During his stay he had noticed the local population would day-dream hours on end, gazing into their goldfish bowls. This prompted him to use Gold Fishes as a symbol for tranquility. Matisse would depict these scenes in "The Arab Café”, a painting he completed during his second trip to Morocco. Just the word goldfish presented the fish as a symbol to a golden age that matisse was seeking during his travels to North Africa. Matisse’s fascination for the Arabian community and Islamic art shows in his works during the golden age of his life, one of such examples could be “The Arab Cafe” (1913) or the “Algerian Woman” (1909). “The GOldfish” however was painted at his house after his 1st trip to Monaco. Even though Matisse has utilized many different styles of painting one of his most famous and prominent styles of painting are his Fauvist paintings. Fauvism is a style of painting with vivid expressionistic and non naturalistic use of color that flourished in Paris from 1905 and, although short-lived, had an important influence on subsequent artists, especially the German expressionists. Matisse was regarded as the movement's leading figure. Although “The GOldfish” was painted during Matisse’s fascination with Fauvism, “The Goldfish” surprisingly has many aspects of post-impressionism. With its vibrant colors, and depiction of real life (still life of goldfishes) Matisse only amplifies the post-impressionistic traits by focussing more on geometric shapes and forms .
Matisse’s use of extreme complementary colors that amplifies the brightness of the color used was one of the dominant characteristics of the Fauvism movement. The painting is painted with great delicacy, details that creates a space that feels realistic yet it is stylized, unlike the parallel movement starting at the same time Cubism, Fauvism stuck more to the realistic side of painting. The Fauvist movement is known for its thick square brushstrokes that could be observed in “The Goldfish”. The painting feels natural and still, The goldfish are floating in the water without much effort. The contrast between the green of the plant and the Orange of the goldfish complements each other. The water in the fishbowl reflects the green of the bushes that surrounds the serene still life.
Going deeper into the Fauvist movement “Fauvism is an art movement that was established towards the beginning of the 20th century. Characterised by its bold colours, textured brushwork and non-naturalistic depictions, the Fauvist style marked a seminal moment in the early 20th century”. Often or not these paintings are painted with impulsive lines, spontaneous compositions, and a simplified drawing style. The bright colors that are used on the gold fishes in the tank are one of the most prominent fauvist features in this piece. Matisse simplifies the forms depicted in his artwork, focusing on their essential shapes and colors rather than realistic details. The goldfish, for example, are depicted with minimalistic yet expressive strokes, which contributed to Matisse's broader exploration of abstraction. Matisse's fluid, expressive lines create movement and life in his paintings. Even the simple yet refined depiction of the goldfishes in a tank comes alive through the curving lines and dynamic forms that emphasize their energy and fluidity. Matisse like all Fauvists artists at the time were able to discover and create works that are one of a kind, never similar to one another, at the end of Mattise’s life he was still able to create art that he loved and enjoyed, experimenting with different mediums one of his most famous ones being paper cut-outs. If you have not seen one of Matisse's I highly recommend looking at his cut-out pieces, one of my personal favorites “The Swimming Pool” (1952) is full of movement, mirroring the movement in his earlier works. Would you step out of your comfort zone to discover new ideas, hobbies, and thoughts like Matisse had done throughout his life?
Article written by Emily Su
Matisse - “The Goldfish” 1912 (140 cm × 98 cm (55 in × 39 in)
