Art With Bre: The Great Picasso and Matisse

Breanna Castaneda

Art History

Terry Long

3 November 2013

The Great Picasso and Matisse

Two of history’s most influential and innovative artists of their era, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse became two supreme sources of inspiration for many aspiring artists of the present time. Recognized today as two of the greats, together they paved the way for the world’s modern artist, exposing new and unique approaches to painting, drawing, sculpture and so much more. Though they differed considerably, each was able to learn and grow from what some describe as their personal rivalry- although both maintained a middle ground of respect for one another.

Though they excelled majorly in painting, Picasso and Matisse held similar styles in drawing as well. Since drawing is “the most direct expression of an artist’s thoughts” (metmuseum.org), it’s hard not to feel like you’ve just witnessed a raw and uncomplicated insight into the minds of these great artists. They exemplified a unique understanding of form and shape and were able to capture the essence of the subject’s being. Both had similar drawing techniques, preferring to work in elegant and un-shaded lines. Their precise line drawings often described simplified forms of female figures. These drawings helped both artists pin point and work out compositional and stylistic complications encountered while working on their piece.

Because drawing is such an important part of understanding the fundamentals of shape and form, its no surprise that Picasso and Matisse were able to develop transformational techniques. For example, both utilized different variations of line weight when drawing. Their lines became bolder throughout the years; in some pieces we see the line weight switch to a heavier and thicker line. This line variance created forms that although devoid of detail, were filled with a unique unpolluted essence of truth to them. The forms held a sculptural appearance, which makes sense considering Picasso’s excellence in sculpture. In fact, Matisse was inspired and intrigued by Picasso’s style of cubism and led him to produce drawings and compositions with geometric structure to them.

Although both were very similar, Picasso’s enigmatic personality led him to delve much more in experimentation with drawing than Matisse. He became fascinated with drawing with light, using cameras and small lights to produce works that although fleeting, were captured via photograph. Picasso’s energy and excitement is expressed in many of his light drawings, they capture the entire frame with seemingly senseless swirls. This innovation does not detract from the fact that although made with light, these drawings still capture his noticeable style and preference for simplified clean lines and understanding of the relationship between space, form and shape.