Essay by Mikeda Cannon, Class of 2007

As the leader of the Fauves (Wild Beasts) of French Expressionism, Matisse preferred expression or feeling versus reality in his drawings and paintings, stating:".one cannot do successful work which has much feeling unless one sees the subject very simply.." (Elderfield 50-51). He used space and color to create images that would ultimately please the viewer. Matisse's almost sketchy style reflected his attempt to construct an image with a "wider meaning, a more comprehensively human image" (Goldwater and Treves 411).

His overall goal was to create an experience for the viewer that made a lasting impression at the same time that it expressed a universal understanding of humanity. Toward this goal, he traveled to Tangiers and Morocco, further influencing his style toward experimentation with odalisques. Matisse's interest in the exotic is clearly visible in Odalisque sur la terrasse (1922-23). He worked largely in both Paris and the French Rivera during this odalisque period. The setting for this work consists of an exotic looking room with a terrace view of the beach. The costuming of the nudes also appears to have eastern influence. Odalisques, or the painting of nudes read as concubines, became a common subject for Matisse because it provided a means by which he could present nude women to the public in an acceptable manner (Gilot 170).

The imagery in this piece typifies Matisse's work. His figures are central to the interior space and dominate the work. In Odalisque sur la terrasse, Matisse's figures appear flattened and although they maintain their central importance, they seem almost to become a part of the overall decorative interior (Elderfield 90). In fact, Matisse himself held that "A picture should.always be decorative." (Elderfield 51). Because Matisse believed that "the chief aim of color should be to serve expression as well as possible" (Goldwater and Treves 412), the choices in this piece appear striking, making the piece aesthetically pleasing to the viewer. Matisse's intentions were clear: "What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject-matter.." (Goldwater and Treves 413). Matisse indeed searched for this ideal through a combination of color, subject and feeling.