RIGA - Henri Matisse, born on Dec. 31, 1869, is often regarded as the most important French painter of the 20th century. The leader of the Fauvist movement around 1900, Matisse pursued the expressiveness of color throughout his career. His subjects are largely domestic or figurative, and a distinct Mediterranean verve is characteristic of his work.
Matisse's artistic career was long and varied, covering many different styles of painting from impressionism to near abstraction. But early on in his career Matisse's use of deep color, simplified lines and flat patterns categorized him as a Fauvist. He actually became known as the King of the Fauves, an inappropriate name for this gentlemanly intellectual, for though there was much passion in his work, it was not wild. He was an awesomely controlled artist and his spirit and mind always had the upper hand over the "beast" of Fauvism.
Matisse's celebration of bright colors reached its peak in 1917 when he began to spend time on the French Riviera. He spent his time there concentrating on the colors of his surroundings and completed some of his most exciting paintings during this period.
His art has an astonishing force and resides in a paradise world into which Matisse draws his viewers. As a man of anxious temperament, similar to Picasso, he saw himself as his only rival. Both artists, in their own fashion, dealt with these disturbances through the sublimation of painting: Picasso destroyed his fear of women in his art, while Matisse coaxed his nervous tension into serenity. He spoke of his art as being like "a good armchair"- a ludicrously inept comparison for such a brilliant man - but his art was a respite, a reprieve, a comfort to him.
In 1941, Matisse was diagnosed as having duodenal cancer and was permanently confined to a wheelchair. It was in this condition that he completed the magnificent Chapel of the Rosary in Venice. Matisse died in Nice on Nov. 3, 1954.
His works, largely drawings dating from 1940 through to the early fifties, are currently on display at the Latvian Museum of Foreign Arts and to date, more than 2,500 people have attended the exhibition which opened on Sept. 2. The exhibit will remain open to the public till Nov 25. Don't miss this chance to see the works of a legend firsthand.
Latvian Museum of Foreign Arts
Pils Square 3, (tel. 7226467)
Hours of operation: Tue 's Sun: 11:00 's 17:00; Mon, Thu - closed
