How Did The Artist Affect Picasso And Matisse

ART UNIT 7 – WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT

Paul Cezanne’s The Large Bathers was an important work of art, which had inspired Picasso and Matisse to create similar, yet different variations of the subject matter through their own works. In a way, Cezanne led a way to further evolution and development of art. In this essay we will review how his works affected Picasso and Matisse.

Firstly, let’s look at The Large Bathers painting by Paul Cezanne. The artist was inspired by classical works of Titan and we can see this through the composition and the subject matter of the painting. However, the large difference is that Cezanne’s figures are not representations of a live image or a visual impression, but an intentional composition. The figures are elongated,

Upon seeing Cezanne’s painting, he did his own interpretation in response in Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. The painting has a very different composition. The figures are very close together and almost feel crowded. We cannot see the background. The painting has a similar subject matter of the naked women, yet, Picasso paints the prostitutes on the famous Avignon Street. The images are almost pornographic and very grotesque. His use of color is also in contrast to that of both Matisse and Cezanne. The color hues are not bright, but rather monochromatic and subdued. The outlines of the figures are angular and the brush stokes are controlled. We can even say that the way the forms of the women are composed reminds us of the pieces of broken glass. This is a very different response to Cezanne’s painting. Next, let’s evaluate Matisse’s Bonhuer de

Bonhuer de Vivre was one of the paintings in response to Cezanne. The composition in Matisse’s work is similar in a way to Cezanne; however, the space is more open and the color scheme is very bright and vibrant. There is also a sense of perspective and vanishing point in the distance. The figures are more flowing arabesques that are incorporated into representations of nature around them. There is a feel of sensuality and warmth in the painting. The lines in the painting are curved and soft, unlike Picasso’s work. Matisse transformed his work as a response to Cezanne and added his own feel and technique to it through deepening abstraction and the brightness of color.

. All three artists had a very impactful effect of the art community. Picasso and Matisse interpreted Cezanne’s work in their own ways. Picasso grouped the composition tightly and used rigid lines, accentuated grotesqueness of the naked bodies and the subdued colors. Matisse, in contrast, used a much more open space in the composition and the vivid bright colors as his own response. It is very interesting to see how competitiveness and inspiration led to such fast and diverse development of art.

Word Count: