Shaped first by academic training at the Académie Julian and the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Matisse soon found himself drawn away from the still lifes and landscapes he’d been taught to refine.

In 1896, Matisse visited Australian painter John Russell off the coast of Brittany in France’s north west. There, Russell introduced Matisse — then just an unknown art student — to Impressionism. 

Russell became Matisse’s new teacher and explained, such that it changed French art forever, colour theory to the young artist.

It was these coastal lessons that turned Matisse’s eye to the style that would have him become one of the “Fauves” (wild beasts in French) alongside André Derain.

“From the moment I held the box of colors in my hands, I knew this was my life. I threw myself into it like a beast that plunges towards the thing it loves.”

- Henri Matisse

The Fauves exhibited at the Salon d’Automne from 1905, showing Open Window and Woman with the Hat. Despite his prominence now, Matisse’s new style met harsh criticism in 1905. “A pot of paint has been flung in the face of the public,” said one critic. “An orgy of pure tones,” said another.

Nonetheless: Matisse persisted with his new style as the Fauvism movement began to fade away in 1906.

Works such as Landscape at Collioure and Vue de Collioure, painted in Collioure as per their names, capture Matisse’s vibrant approach to painting and perfectly exemplify his ability to paint, his own words, “the difference between things."

It was in Paris that Matisse, like many of the influential artists, writers, and thinkers of the early 20th century, fell into Gertrude Stein’s salon. Here he met Pablo Picasso who would become a lifelong friend and rival even to today.

Works like Goldfish, The Cat With Red Fish, and Ecole de Paris continued to embody strong colour and striking composition even as he turned in the 1920s and 1930s to a more naturalistic style. 

By the outbreak of World War II, much of Matisse’s distinct style had evolved. He’d already painted many of his most enduring pieces.

Once so capable with a brush and even dabbling in sculpture, the later years of Matisse’s life found him wheelchair bound after surgery for abdominal cancer. 

With the help of his assistants, he turned to a medium with which he’d first experimented in 1919: decoupage, or cut outs. These works, such as Papier Coupes and Papiers Decoupes, straddled the boundary between painting and sculpture.

Matisse’s art is more than just decoration.

A Henri Matisse print is a celebration of life, colour, and creativity. 

By choosing a premium giclée print, you are investing in a living piece of art history that perfectly captures the vibrancy and depth of the original masterpiece. Our prints are produced with natural wooden timber frames, made and shipped locally with prints that promise stunning clarity and durability.

Whether you prefer your prints unframed for a modern gallery feel or elegantly framed for a polish finish, our collection of Matisse’s work offers something for every art lover.

Bring the timeless elegance of Matisse into your whole home or office with a curated set.

Whether you want to pair Blue Nude and Coral for a muted, elegant display or you’re after three Fauvist prints inspired by Collioure to make a statement across a single wall, there’s a set of Matisse art prints available at Inka Arthouse.