The colorfully painted woman reclines in the same position the sculpture does, her arm upon her head and her body stretched out comfortably. To get a true sense of the sculpture, and its relevance in Matisse’s forte, it is superlative to view the antithesis on paper. Both the sculpture and the painting defy artistic norms of the time with their torqued limbs and distinct fauvist approach.
Arguably the most illustrious (and mammoth) of Matisse’s three-dimensional works are the four bronze versions of The Back created between a period of over twenty years. Beautifully casted in sand-colored bronze, the backs epitomize the much examined motif of the female form. Though they were not necessarily created as a consistent series, they elaborate on Matisse’s expertise and developement of technique. The figures are massive and extended flatly over a wall, forming a continuous examination of the concrete to the conceptual. The backs seem to protrude off of a flat surface, as if the front torsos have been cut off. The depth and change between the four backs is immense, and it is easy to see Matisse’s variation in artistic styles from sculpture to sculpture. Each one is different—the beginning backs are realistic and then gradually fade into the abstract, mirroring on the cubist style of Picasso.
The Matisse: Painter as Sculpture exhibit is a powerful display of Matisse’s sculptures. It pronounces the role they played in his creative life and in the context of his works on paper. His sculpture expresses the human form in ways that his canvas never could, and complements them in parallel ways. The exhibit is a wonderful examination of the breadth and transition of Matisse’s work, and his creative brilliance.
Photo: Reclining Nude I, provided by SFMOMA
