Graphics by Henri Matisse: Dialogue with the Culture of the East. On the Problem Definition

Abstract

The interaction of Western European fine arts, on one side, and the culture of the East, on the other, is one of the central themes in modern art history. With the spread of Eastern cultural influences on the ways Western European artists see and portray nature, the style of the Western European fine art has been gradually changing. The present article addresses graphic works by Henri Matisse associated with his creative reflections on the Muslim and Far Eastern art. The graphics of the master are analyzed throughout all periods of the artist’s work. Likewise, the paper provides a description of major features of linear drawing by A. Matisse, marked by its ability to present the most concise characteristics of the depicted objects. The purpose of this study is to examine innovative artistic means deployed by A. Matisse in his graphic works, which were formed as a result of the artist's acquaintance with the Eastern tradition. The article deals with previously unexplored aspects of Matisse's work, which appear to be particularly significant in the context of identifying the points of interlinkage between the cultures of the East and Western Europe.