Henri Matisse

Hello! My name is Henri Matisse. I was born in a small town in France on December 31st, 1869. When I was a young man, I studied to be a lawyer, but I didn't find it very exciting. Then, when I was 20 years old, something happened that changed my life. I had to stay in bed to recover from an illness, and my mother gave me a box of paints to keep me busy. The moment I started mixing the colors, I felt like I had discovered a new world. It was a kind of paradise!

I knew then that I had to be an artist. In 1891, I moved to the big city of Paris to study art. I learned all the rules of painting, but I wanted to do something different. I wanted my paintings to be full of feeling and bright, happy colors. Around 1905, my friends and I showed our new style of art. We used such wild, bold colors—like red trees and orange skies—that one critic called us 'Les Fauves,' which means 'The Wild Beasts.' We loved the name! We weren't trying to paint things exactly as they looked; we were painting how they made us feel.

I painted for many, many years. But in 1941, I had an operation that made it difficult for me to stand and paint at an easel. I had to spend a lot of time in a wheelchair. Did I stop making art? No! I found a brand new way to create. I called it 'painting with scissors.' My assistants would paint large sheets of paper in beautiful, bright colors. Then, I would cut out shapes—like stars, leaves, and birds—and arrange them into big, lively pictures. My famous 1947 book, 'Jazz,' was made this way.

Toward the end of my life, from 1947 to 1951, I worked on what I considered my masterpiece: the Chapelle du Rosaire in a town called Vence. I designed everything inside, from the colorful stained-glass windows to the simple drawings on the walls. I lived to be 84 years old, filling my life with art and color until I passed on in 1954. People remember me for my joyful colors and simple shapes. I hope my art continues to show everyone that there is beauty and happiness to be found all around us, if you just know how to look.