Alvin Langdon Coburn

Henri Matisse

Painter

French·b. 1869

Known for:

Fauvism; the late cut-paper Jazz (1947)

Education:

Académie Julian, Paris (under Bouguereau); École des Beaux-Arts, Paris (under Gustave Moreau)

Henri Matisse led Fauvism - the movement named for its "wild beast" color - in 1905 and spent the following five decades exploring the relationship between color, pattern, and the representation of pleasure and ease. His late cut-paper works, made while he was confined to a wheelchair in his eighties, are among the most formally inventive works of his career. He and Picasso were considered the twin poles of modernist painting throughout the first half of the twentieth century.

Henri Matisse's Gear List(2)

Lefranc Bourgeois Linel Gouache

Lefranc Bourgeois

Connection Source

LefrancbourgeoisWebsite

Connection note

Primary medium for his paper cut-outs; MoMA conservation study confirmed Linel gouache across 79 samples; Matisse personally thanked Lefranc for creating his violet fixe tint

Product description

Extra-fine gouache made in Le Mans, France, bound with natural gum arabic and triple-milled for a smooth, creamy consistency. Available in 78 colors, including patented shades developed with Henri Matisse. Dries to an opaque, velvety matte finish.

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Last updated March 20, 2026

Oil Paint

Generic

Connection Source

LefrancbourgeoisWebsite

Connection note

Primary painting medium before the cut-out period; works consistently listed as oil on canvas

Product description

Oil paint — pigment suspended in a drying oil, typically linseed — has been the dominant painting medium since the fifteenth century. It dries slowly, allowing extended blending, and produces a rich, luminous surface. Available from dozens of manufacturers at student through professional grades.

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