Joy of Life by Henri Matisse

The work, Joy of Life by Henri Matisse, exemplifies the concept of abstract art because the shapes portraying human forms are overly simplified, some even depicted without facial expression. (Getlein 28) Similar to the Pablo Picasso work Seated Woman Holding a Fan, the title Joy of Life suggests to the viewer the context, content and subject matter of the piece. (28, 36, 41) The work also hints at Matisse's style by the colors chosen for the work and the extreme similarity to the colors which Matisse chose for Music Lesson. (32-35, 36, 41) Exaggeration, also an aspect of abstract art, can be interpreted by the implied lines and shapes of the trees, grotto-like walls and opening upon a beach, to reflect a face expressing the joys of life, in a negative shape, whereas the simplified figures portray the positive shapes of people. (28-29, 75,-77, 80, 83)

Matisse also utilizes the primary colors of red, yellow and blue, as well as the secondary colors of green and orange, and varying shades and tints of those primary and secondary colors. (89-90) The lines of the tree trunks and shadows surrounding the simplified human forms portray the contour effect, although the contour lines and shadows utilize colors other than the shade of black or tint of white. (75-77) Matisse's use of primarily warm colors to depict the figures of people, as well as the negative space, leads the viewer to experience the joy of life through emotion, using the implied shape of a face expressing joy in the warm tint of a pale pink in the background. (83-84, 90, 94, 99-100) The linear perspective and focal point of the work also draw the viewer to the implied form of the face expressing joy by the use of slightly angular and often twisted tree trunks, both drawing view to the focal point of the implied face expressing joy. (102-104)

As suggested in Matisse's work Memories of Oceana, Joy of Life also portrays unity and variety. (114-116) Unity is depicted through invocation of experiences of joy through the various couplings of the simple forms of people. (114) Matisse also depicts variety by the use of nature: trees, ocean, and terra-firma of the beach and blue-green grass. (115) Some may see the joy of life in the pairings; others may see the joy of life in nature, all of which depict the unity and variety of life's joys in a "natural" manner. (114-116)

Emphasis and subordination can be seen in the work by Matisse's use of the non-saturated human figures, in contrast to the saturation of the yellow beach, blue ocean, green trees, and warm, earth-like walls of the grotto. (90, 125-127) The non-emphasis of the human shapes draws the viewer's gaze specifically to the emphasis of them. (125-127) The saturation of color utilized to be subordinate in a negative-image way. (83, 125-127)

Matisse's work, Joy of Life, epitomizes several basic concepts