Auguste Matisse (1866–1931), *rough Sea*, Oil On Canvas Mounted On Panel

Auguste MATISSE
1866-1931

Rough Sea
Oil on canvas mounted on panel
Signed lower left
33 x 55 cm

Born in Nevers in 1866, Auguste Matisse received his early training at the École des Beaux-Arts in Dijon before joining Léon Bonnat’s studio at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. In 1895, he became a member of the Société des artistes français and exhibited at the Salon until 1931, as well as at the Salon d’Automne. He was awarded the title of Official Painter to the Navy in 1919, which led him to travel abroad.

At the end of the 19th century, Auguste Matisse settled on the island of Bréhat in a small house-studio, where he led a life fully integrated into the local community, mingling with fishermen and sailors. The artist presents us with a highly personal body of work, favoring the power of the elements over the picturesque coastal scenery of the island. He was truly fascinated by the sea. He painted it tirelessly, paying particular attention to the sweeping movements of the waves, which became his favorite subject. He does not depict a distant, peaceful horizon but rather a shifting, tense one. His tightly framed compositions—undoubtedly inspired by Japanese prints—accentuate the intensity of the captured moment. The sea thus often occupies three-quarters of the canvas.

In the work we are presenting, the sky occupies only a narrow strip at the top, accounting for less than one-fifth of the painting. The rest of the composition is dominated by the sea, its rhythm defined by the movement of the waves. The sea is rendered with thick paint and a lively brushstroke. The color palette, consisting mainly of dark greens, purple, and mauve, suggests that night is falling.

Bibliography: Roger de Félice, *Art et décoration*, April 1920.

Public collections: Paris, Musée d’Orsay; Dijon, Musée des Beaux-Arts; Nevers, Musée de la Faïence – Frédéric Blandin.