Henri Matisse was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. His works ranged from impressionistic style to abstract, as he continuously experimented and developed his art. Matisse had been involved in the short lived Fauve movement, which took off at the 1905 Salon d'Automne in Paris, where color was not representational of nature, but was the expression of the artists’ reactions to what they were seeing. After Matisse’s extended visits to Morocco in 1912 and 1913, we see a shift in style as he begins to focus more on the exotic and on the effect of light. He incorporates oriental rugs, goldfish, odalisque costumes, and more findings from his travels into his work. His play with light is especially apparent during the Nice period, as his paintings take on a softer color palette, resembling the southern light shining into the interior spaces. One specific motif, the goldfish, starts to appear in many of his paintings, as we will see in this exhibit.
The connection between Morocco, the exotic, women, and the goldfish can be seen through this exhibit. Matisse saw goldfish as objects of contemplation and frequently included an attentive observer or human figure in these compositions. The goldfish bowl is often placed in an interior space in front of a window, echoing the idea of an enclosed space which opens up to the outside world. The fish are confined in a bowl within a room, as the room is enclosed in a pictorial frame, which we, the viewer, externally look onto within its borders. This same concept is seen through Matisse’s numerous paintings of women in interiors, as they gaze out windows, lounge on furniture, or sit idly by in deep thought. The goldfish paintings encourage the viewer to contemplate both the exotic and the domestic, as the goldfish, inherently exotic creatures, are encapsulated in the aquarium, a domesticated enclosure. Likewise women depicted in Matisse’s work are displayed through a male gaze, as exotic and yet domestic.
Henri Matisse, Goldfish, 1912, Oil on canvas, 140×98 cm,
The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts
This painting focuses centrally on the goldfish contained in a cylindrical bowl. This piece is reminiscent of his Fauve era, as he uses the bright orange to draw attention to the four goldfish in the center of the composition. The table tilts forward giving the whole scene the illusion of curving toward the viewer, mimicking the shape of the bowl itself. Although this piece is busy, filled with plants and furniture, the eye finds rest when looking at the vibrant goldfish as they are meant to be contemplated. Like much of Matisse’s work, this piece does not represent what he sees, but what he feels when looking into this space.
Henri Matisse, Les poissons rouges (Interior with a Goldfish Bowl), 1914, Oil on canvas, 147 x 97 x 2,4 cm, Centre Pmpidou
This piece introduces the motif of the window. The goldfish bowl is both held within the interior room and the world beyond the window, while to a fuller extent the world from which we view the artwork. The deep blue which takes over the composition creates a sense of serenity and aids in the meditation on the goldfish. This painting creates a solid sense of space and depth, while also creating an alternate world as there is no clear vanishing point. The goldfish are still the central focus of this painting. The bowl is split in two, as one half remains dark from the interior of the room, and the other is a lighter blue, breaking into the outside world.
Henri Matisse, Goldfish and Sculpture, spring-summer 1912,
Oil on canvas, 46 x 39 ⅝ inches, Museum of Modern Art
This is one of two paintings from Matisse’s studio that include the same still life set up. This first one feels like a study rather than a finished piece, with its thin layering of paint and short brushwork. This is the first incorporation of a figure with the goldfish. It is a female nude sculpture made by Matisse himself. Sky blue takes over the canvas as most indications of structure fall away. The three central objects ground the painting, and the artwork and bookshelf in the background create a stabilizing grid. The inclusion of the female nude introduces the theme of figures contemplating goldfish. His focus on the exotic also becomes apparent, as he often used odalisques as inspiration for his female nudes. Like Gauguin, Matisse admired the “primitiveness” of foreign cultures, like that of Morocco, and wanted to capture the sense of this lost paradise in his works.
Henri Matisse, Studio with Goldfish, May-end of September 1912,
Oil on canvas, 46 7/16 x 39 15/16 in, Barnes Foundation
This is the second of the two studio paintings. In this piece Matisse has developed the space more fully, as the objects lay on a table and a new angle of the room is revealed. Matisse uses a new color scheme in this painting, utilizing a deep blue giving the illusion of night time. The darker tone creates a peaceful scene, aiding the viewer in their contemplation of the goldfish. The goldfish are simplified, represented only with orange streaks of paint. Unlike the previous study, Matisse outlines the pieces in the foreground with black pigment, pulling them forward.
Henri Matisse, The Goldfish Bowl, winter 1921–22, Oil on canvas,
21 ⅜ × 25 ¾ in., The Metropolitan Museum of Art
This piece was made later in Matisse’s career, during his Nice period. This is apparent as we can see the change in style and color palette. His Nice period works focused on capturing the southern light as it came through the windows, creating a soft warm glow. Although not immediately apparent, The Goldfish Bowl carries on the theme of women contemplating goldfish. In the top right corner the rendering of Matisse’s previous painting, Two Young Women in a Landscape in the Loup Valley, 1921 shows the women gazing at the goldfish. With the inclusion of the decorative wall paper and the french table, it feels very domestic, like it could have been painted from anyone’s living room.
Henri Matisse, Arab Coffeehouse, 1913, glue colors on canvas, 176 x 210 cm,
The State Hermitage Museum
This painting is unlike any of his other paintings, as it could pass as an Islamic art piece itself. Matisse combines the concepts of peaceful contemplation and the enchantment of the exotic in this painting. Matisse simplifies the piece, creating a two dimensional plane with a one color background and a consistent ochre to represent the Arabs. The diluted turquoise background and light gray of the Arab's clothes create a quiet and peaceful scene. This is the first painting depicting men observing goldfish. Matisse's flat and rounded application of paint creates a sense of stillness, as the two figures in the foreground contemplate the goldfish, and the figures in the background are playing an instrument. Matisse was captivated by the meditative culture of Morocco and he shows it in this piece, as he captures the feeling of absolute inner peace.
Henri Matisse, Zorah On the Terrace, 1912, 45 ¼ x 39 ⅜ inches,
Oil on Canvas, State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow
This painting depicts a young model, Zorah, as she sits meditatively on a terrace. The painting is taken over by blue shadows as the sunlight creeps in on the left side. The piece feels weightless as all indications of gravity fall apart. The triangular composition of the shoes, the goldfish bowl, and Zorah anchor down the painting, while still remaining weightless in appearance. Zorah’s emotionless stare and the presence of the goldfish indicate her contemplative nature, as she appears to meditate. The goldfish bowl in the bottom right corner glows as the Moroccan sunlight bounces off of it. This piece is exotic in subject, with the inclusion of a Moroccan girl dressed in Arab attire, but contemplative in nature as she sits motionless in meditation alongside the goldfish.
Henri Matisse, Young Woman before an Aquarium, Between September
1921 and February 1922, Oil on canvas, 18 ¼ x 21 ⅝ in., Barnes Foundation
This piece is one of many of Matisse’s paintings of young women in interiors. These works often depicted women without a role, confined to the interior. This Is the first of two almost identical pieces, and shows a woman contemplating goldfish as she leans on a table adorned with pine cones. The piece includes reference to his trips to Morocco with the red tapestry on the left wall, and includes some of his sketches on the right. These inactive contemplative female figures were common among his works during the 20s, as he was sensitive to the women’s position during this time. Women were at liberty but not truly free or independent. His own daughter had gotten married around the time he was creating these paintings, and was most likely his inspiration for this painting, and the reason for his sensitivity towards young women.
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