HW Blog #2

        

         In 1921, Henri Matisse created "Reclining Odalisque". This representational oil painting stood out to me with its bold use of contrasting primary colors, such as red and blue. This remarkable two dimensional oil painting used straight white lines of negative space to divide the red geometric pattern decorating the room. The artist also used lines and geometric shapes, such as rectangles and squares, to divide the hardwood and tiles making up the floor. "Reclining Odalisque" subjectively displays a woman reclining on a pillow. This painting objectively displays a seemingly wealthy young woman lying in complete relaxation and comfort. The amount of creative detail in the room's decor, lead me to believe this is a very wealthy young woman. The artist also displays the woman's wealth with the golden sculpture she is lying next to and the piece of jewelry on her ankle. Another item that represents the woman's wealth is the makeup on the table and on her face. Lastly, the woman's wealth is shown by the way she seemingly reclines without a worry or care in the world. The artist used negative space under the table with makeup and in between the geometric patterns decorating the door. The artist often used warm primary colors on its smooth canvas, making this oil painting achromatic.