Henri Matisse (1869-1954) was a towering figure in modern art, known for his vibrant use of color and revolutionary artistic innovations. Born in Le Cateau-Cambrésis, France, Matisse initially began his career in law before discovering his passion for art at the age of twenty. This pivotal change in direction led him to Paris, where he studied art and was influenced by the works of the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists. However, Matisse’s unique vision soon led him to explore new artistic directions, culminating in the development of Fauvism alongside André Derain and Maurice de Vlaminck. This movement was characterized by its radical use of color to convey emotional expression, a principle that would remain central to Matisse’s work throughout his career. Did you know? In his later years, Matisse began experimenting with cut-outs, a technique that involved cutting and arranging painted paper into vibrant compositions. This innovation was born out of necessity when ill health prevented him from painting, yet these works are among his most celebrated, demonstrating his unwavering creativity and ability to adapt. This is a great style to use for bold vivid colors, cut-out shapes and very recognizable ‘Matisse’-que vibe. We will not deduct points for the cyberpunk character (the colors are right, the way he is portrayed is not typical for Matisse) and for the peonies (they easily can be from his other period of works), simply because Henry Matisse is one of our favorite painters of all times. The Midlibrary score is 9/9!