Article written by Bruno Passos

Interior with a Violin (1918) – Oil on canvas, 28 3/4 x 23 5/8″ (73 x 60 cm)
Author: Matisse

Matisse always haunts me, the artist has always taken risks, constantly walking the fine line between “cheerful” paintings and the essence of abstract art. Only those who have tried to walk this trail know how difficult it is to keep the freshness and still deliver something sober and mature. Matisse could.

Here is my favorite work of his, a summer scene where the majority color is black (!). Matisse defies convention to provide us with a fresh and incredibly light look, transporting us exactly to that space, a dark room, but dark as it is only possible when it is summer, showing us that more than describing, it is up to the artist to portray everything that is not there. A genius of sensory art.