| Artist | Henri Matisse |
|---|---|
| Year | 1912 |
| Material | Oil on canvas |
| Height metric | 140 |
| Width metric | 98 |
| Metric unit | cm |
| Imperial unit | in |
| Museum | Pushkin Museum |
| City | Moscow |
Goldfish (French: Les Poissons rouges) is a 1912 oil-on-canvas still life painting by French visual artist Henri Matisse. Goldfish, whose centerpiece includes four goldfish, was part of a series that Matisse produced between the spring and early summer of 1912.
Background
In the early 1900s, Matisse established himself as a leader of the Fauvism art movement. Fauvism emphasised a strong use of colour and painterly qualities, as opposed to realistic representations found in Impressionist art.[1]
In 1912, Matisse visited Tangier, Morocco, where he noted how the locals would be fascinated by goldfish swimming in bowls.[2]
Shortly after his visit to Morocco, Matisse produced a series of paintings that included Goldfish between the spring and early summer.[2] Goldfish was painted in Matisse's garden conservatory at his home in Issy-les-Moulineaux.[2] He moved there to escape the pressures of Paris.
The motif of fish in aquariums was notable in his work and would become a recurring sight from in the early and mid-1910s.[3][4][5]
Description and theme
The 1912 Goldfish painting was unlike other Matisse works featuring goldfish, as the four goldfish themselves are the focus of the piece.[2] Matisse continued the use of bright colours found in his Fauvist work on Goldfish. The painting features a "bright orange [that] strongly contrasts with the more subtle pinks and greens that surround the fish bowl and the blue-green background."[2]
A still life, the painting features "Matisse's own plants, his own garden furniture, and his own fish tank."[2] Additionally, Matisse's "depiction of space" in the piece creates a tension. The goldfish can be seen from two different angles simultaneously: from the front, where the viewer can immediately recognise them, and from above, where they are "merely suggested by colorful brushstrokes."[2]
Goldfish illustrates many common themes found in Matisse's paintings. The use of complementary colors, a trademark of Fauvism, is associated with many of his other works. Additionally, his exploration of an "idyllic paradise" and desire to invoke a "contemplative relaxation" for the viewer of the work.[2]
Provenance and legacy
The piece was purchased by Sergei Shchukin in Paris from Matisse's studio in 1912, and was a part of Shchukin's Pink Drawing Room ensemble in his home.[3] Since 1948, the work has been located at the Pushkin Museum in Moscow, Russia.[3] Goldfish holds the distinction of being the featured Matisse work found in the College Board's AP Art History curriculum.[2]
See also
References
- ^ Smith, Roberta (30 November 2012). "Evolving Toward Ecstasy". New York Times. Archived 30 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ Wilkins, Charlotte (9 August 2015). "Matisse, Goldfish". Smarthistory. Retrieved 20 September 2022. *Wilkins, Charlotte (9 August 2015). "Matisse, Goldfish". Khan Academy. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ "Henri Matisse Goldfish. 1912". Pushkin Museum. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ Michalska, Magda (29 December 2021). "Why Was Matisse Obsessed with Goldfish?". Daily Art Magazine. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ Linker, Kate (October 1980). "Meditations on a Goldfish Bowl: Autonomy and Analogy in Matisse". Artforum. pp. 65–73. Retrieved 23 September 2022.