Designer Series | Matisse

by SAL McINTYRE 

In creating the interior design for a new project that maintains both qualities of freshness and timelessness, that can be both full of vitality and grounded in stability— sometimes it helps to admit that working with art from an artist as tried and true as Matisse is simply an inarguable fit. It seems that no matter the decor, the geography, the city or landscape, the culture or the mood, Matisse’s art consistently and magically complements any context, infusing a room with grace and humility, joy and inspiration, confidence and cause, and allowing for the enlightened flow that is already taking place to effortlessly transpire. Matisse worked in a handful of styles and mediums, yet across the many evolutions his blissful artistic vision remained undiminished— a true master at heart.

Henri Matisse – The Fall Of Icarus, silkscreen 1994

Henri Matisse – Composition Fond Bleu, offset lithograph 1990

Perhaps his most infamous aesthetic, the cut-paper shape drawing that has led to some of the most iconic images in modern art, is as uplifting as it is decisive, a magnetic combination. Strong lines and simple design carry the conceptual themes and the adjacent furniture alike, making for useful interior ingredients. Works like The Fall Of Icarus and Composition Fond Bleu are amongst his most well known.

Henri Matisse – Mille Et Une Nuits, stone lithograph 1951