Artist Info: Henri Matisse (1869-1954) went to study in Paris in 1892, copying the old masters in the Louvre. His early paintings are very traditional, but soon went through a succession of modern influences. One of the original “Fauves”, he participated in several group exhibitions. In 1906, he had a one-man show of 55 canvasses at the Galerie Druet. In the next few years he became known internationally. About 1910 he began to veer away from the vibrant color and rhythmic line of his Fauve painting to a more subdued palette and an interest in Cubism, although he was never a Cubist. After settling in Nice in 1917, he turned again to bright colors and rhythmic arabesques. Through the years Matisse had done a number of engravings and some book illustration in 1939. His collages, or cutouts of colored paper also date from this period. Matisse’s fame – like Picasso’s – was confirmed in the 1930s, closely in correlation with the busy exhibition scene. An exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1948 revealed Matisse as one of the great contemporary artists. In 1950 he was awarded the Grand Prize for Painting at the Biennale of Venice. Although seriously handicapped by illness during his last few years, Matisse continued to paint until his death in 1954.