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Henri Matisse is among the most famous, recognized, and loved artists of art history. Everyone knows at list one of his collages and paintings.

Matisse was among the main exponents of the Fauves group, the “beasts”, the “savages”, the French contribution from the early twentieth century to the birth of expressionism. Two-dimensionality, flat backgrounds, no shades, the Fauves paintings were mainly color, without seeking a likelihood with nature.
Unlike the German current with dark hues and dramatic contents, the French Fauves represented a “Mediterranean” and a sunny variant of expressionism. Their bright colors expressed the “joie de vivre” and it remained constant throughout Matisse’s production until the end when he became quite abstract but without losing the liveliness of the color.

The French Fauves represented a “Mediterranean” and a sunny variant of expressionism, with their bright colors they expressed the “joie de vivre”.

Last year, on Matisse’s 150th anniversary, two of his 14 great-grandchildren, Matthieu Matisse and Anne-Maxence Matisse, founded Maison Matisse, a creative project that through design wants to perpetuate the work of their ancestor.
Their first collection was a limited edition of vases designed by three famous designer: Alessandro Mendini, the Bouroullec brothers, and Jaime Hayon.

The limited-edition vases from the “1869” collection designed by Jaime Hayon, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Alessandro Mendini.

After the limited edition, Maison Matisse now presents a permanent collection. The idea is to invite every year a famous designer to design a collection inspired by Matisse’s paintings. This first collection was inspired by the 1939 painting “La Musique” and was designed by the French-Polish designer Marta Bakowski.

Maison Matisse collections are also a bit Italian: ceramics are entirely handmade by artisan manufacture in Tuscany.

Vases and plates seem to come out directly from Matisse’s paintings with same colors and shapes. Monstera leaves, silhouettes, and patterns now decorate and are engraved on the ceramic. In Matisse’s paintings, there is a taste for decorations that seems to spontaneously translate into real objects.

Are you already dreaming of buying something? Prices start from € 130 each for dessert plates, you can find shop on-line and details on Maison Matisse.

Which painting will inspire the next collection? I hope it will be my favorite Matisse’s painting: Harmony in Red.

 

Photos Maison Matisse