Woman in a Purple Coat- Henri Matisse

Woman in the Purple Coat was painted in 1937 by Henri Matisse. This painting is Oil on canvas,81 x 65.2 cm. This work of art is currently displayed in the Museum of Fine arts in Huston Texas. Henri Matisse was one of the most important French painters in the 20th century. Henri Matisse was born December 31, 1869 and lived until November 3, 1954. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor but is well known for being a painter. He communicates joy with expressive and vibrant colors and uses such bold patters that make the painting so detailed. In the painting Woman in a Purple Coat the woman picture is supposed to be Matisse's assistant and companion Lydia Delectorskaya. This painting is an example of his mature decorative style. Lydia is shown in an exotic Moroccan costume, surrounded by a complex of abstract design and exotic color. This is an example of one of the final groups of oil paintings in Matisse's career, in 1950 he stopped painting oil paintings in favor of creating paper cutouts. the reason I chose this painting is because it is one of Matisse's last paintings. I love the colors in this painting and especially how the purple coat stands out from the rest of the painting which helps convey the way he used the expressionism method.