Henri Matisse (1869-1954) is known not only as one of the most
important French painters of the 20th century but also as co-
founder and leading exponent of Fauvism. His work reflects an
ongoing quest for the expressive power of pure, brilliant colors
and simple forms; as a result, the realistic presentation of
nature often retires to a secondary position. For Matisse, color
did not serve as a tool for the expression of subjective
feelings, but rather became the equivalent of light itself: it
functioned as a pure medium in the creation of an autonomous
pictorial space: "Out of my fruitful work with discovered tones
there must emerge a vital color harmony, a harmony that is
analogous to a musical composition." As a creative artist,
Matisse was not only a painter, but also experimented with other
materials: he produced glass windows and theater designs and
created significant sculptures in bronze, ceramic and clay. In
old age, confined to a wheelchair, he created collages with
colored paper, glue, and scissors: