Modern Pointillism

By the early 20th century, artists such as Henri Matisse (1839-1954) claimed that color and form could only achieve their full potential if they become independent from the objects they depicted. Importantly, modern artists emphasized the view of each individual artist, and hence, vision. Matisse’s colors are not arbitrary. Woman with the Hat combines pointillist color with a post-impressionistic technique. Matisse had studied Paul Signac’s use of pure color and his organization of the picture plane through contrasting complementary pairs. In doing so, Matisse creates an energetic, even a tense effect. The pairs of complimentary color are repeated in different parts of the painting. While they structure the work, they also encourage the movement of the spectator’s eye that does not stop at any given point. However, in the process, Matisse moves away from Signac’s pointillist dot. His thick and flat contours borrow from the post-impressionists painters such as Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh rather than from Signac. Thus, for a contemporary spectator, Matisse’s Woman with the Hat appeared less finished than Signac’s painstakingly detailed technique of pointillism. Understanding color and vision helps to explain the work by Matisse and other modern artists.