Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse

The Joy of Life, Henri Matisse

Guernica, Pablo Picasso

Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso lived in the same time period. Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso were both artists who drastically changed the art world during the early twentieth century. By breaking traditional art rules, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse helped pave the way for modern art.

Henri Matisse born in 1869 in France started painting when he was twenty-one years old. Matisse was cautious, reserved, hardworking, dedicated to his family, and frugal. Matisse had the characteristics of a Victorian man. Pablo Picasso had many lovers throughout his life, and did not represent the middle-class values of Victorian life like Henri Matisse.

Matisse tried many different styles throughout his life like realism, impressionism, post-impressionism, fauvism, orientalism, cubism, expressionism, and abstract expressionism. Matisse gained recognition and popularity with fauvism. Fauvism was a group of artists who choose intense colours instead of representation and realistic values (Wikipedia). Matisse used pure and intense colours in his paintings shown in his painting The Joy of Life. Henri Matisse did not just paint, but he also did book illustration and architectural design. Matisse’s piece Icarus was a book illustration from his abstract expressionism period.

The Man in Blue, Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso was born in 1881 in Spain. Picasso originally learned art formally in realist value. He became tired of the rigid academic approach, and experimented in different styles. Picasso was always in constant demand by consumers. Like Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso created artwork using different styles like neoclassicism, realism, impressionism, post-impression, Japanism, expressionism, cubism, surrealism, and art nouveau. Picasso’s work was not broken up by style, but by periods.

 The blue period was during a depressing period of Picasso’s life after his best friend committed suicide. The Man in Blue is an oil painting from Picasso’s Blue Period. Every object, clothes, and the man has a tint or shade of blue. All his paintings have a blue tint and shade. Other periods of Picasso’s were rose period, African period, Cubist period, and Neoclassicist & Surrealist period. All periods of Picasso’s work and life were popular.

Icarus, Henri Matisse

Henri Matisse’s art did not represent politics like Pablo Picasso’s art. Matisse wanted all art to avoid depressing and troubling subject matter. Pablo Picasso’s famous painting Guernica was about Francisco Franco allowing the German Nazis to bomb the town of Guernica, Spain. Outraged by the atrocities, Pablo Picasso painted Guernica and showcased it in Paris.


Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso both experimented in many different art movements and lived during the same time. Pablo Picasso went through many periods, when Matisse usually depicted happy subject matter.

Self-Portrait, Henri Matisse

Mandolin Player, Pablo Picasso