Tweetspeak Poetry

  • Home
  • FREE prompts
  • Earth Song
  • Every Day Poems—Subscribe! ✨
  • Teaching Tools
  • Books, Etc.
  • Patron Love

Regional Tours: Matisse at Indianapolis Museum of Art

By Charity Singleton Craig 10 Comments

We arrived at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) to find a hive buzzing with activity. Two lines formed at the ticket counter – one for members, another for guests. Clusters of people in ones, twos, and fours lingered in front of the cafe menu or studied their tickets stubs and programs. The museum remained open only one evening each week, and clearly, patrons were taking advantage of the extended hours, especially just days after the opening of a new special exhibit, Matisse, Life in Color: Masterworks from the Baltimore Museum of Art.

My husband and I came to celebrate my birthday. We planned a whole evening at the museum: take in Matisse, browse the gift shop, and enjoy dinner. Once we picked up our tickets, we discovered a lonesome docent with no participants for the next scheduled tour. We jumped at the chance for a private showing. But when we entered the gallery, we realized why were alone. Everyone else was already there.

As our guide explained, the Matisse exhibit at the IMA presents a unique opportunity for viewing his work. First, because the pieces are not arranged chronologically, but rather thematically: landscapes, interiors, still lifes, nudes, etc. In each gallery, viewers can see the progression of Matisse’s technique, skill, and philosophy as his work in a specific areas evolves. And also, because nearly every piece in the collection was originally purchased directly from the artist by Claribel or Etta Cone, two sisters who inherited vast resources from their family’s textile business.

The modern world owes a tremendous debt to these two sisters who not only saw promise in this fledgling artist, along with another no-name called Pablo Picasso, but also put their money where their mouth is and paid him for the work. In the exhibition notes, the Cone sisters are credited with purchasing the art from the “then-emerging” artist. What that really means is that they supported him when Henri Matisse wasn’t yet the Matisse.

The exhibit chronicles the work from the time when Matisse was just a new painter trying to make a name for himself. In his early pieces, Matisse wasn’t afraid to try new things and to do them poorly at first. Early pieces in the landscape gallery seemed like little more than copies of masters he studied. It’s not until we see his shifting perspective (three dimensions become flattened and rotated) and his use of color (drawn more from how he feels than what he sees) – which Matisse himself credits to post-impressionist painters like Paul Cézanne — that we begin to see his own signature style emerge.

“The Impressionist painters, especially Monet and Sisley, had delicate sensations, quite close to each other: as a result their canvases all look alike, ” Matisse wrote in his essay, Notes of a Painter.

The word ‘impressionism’ perfectly characterizes their style, for they register fleeting impressions. It is not an appropriate designation for certain more recent painters who avoid the first impression, and consider it almost dishonest. A rapid rendering of a landscape represents only one moment of its existence [durée]. I prefer, by insisting upon its essential character, to risk losing charm in order to obtain greater stability.

And let’s be honest. Some of his works aren’t very charming. They don’t even appear to be complicated. Such basic lines, shapes, and colors look almost crude at times. In fact, the special collection of local children’s work inspired by Matisse in the last room of the exhibit looked a lot like, well, the original Matisse works.

But his work was not made to capture an impression, as he said above, nor an exacting representation. His work captures the essence, and he was known for his process, for his perseverance in seeing a piece through until the entire piece felt harmonious to him, and most of all, he was known for evoking in others what he himself experienced when he sat down to his art.

When we approached a sculpture of a nude lady reclining, our guide gave us several possible interpretations. “Some people feel she is relaxed, ” he offered. “Some feel that she is balanced awkwardly and is about to fall.  What do you see?” he asked us.

“Actually, I saw a chair, ” I said. “Even though there wasn’t a chair there, I saw it because what was missing is in the shape of the chair.”

The docent laughed. “Matisse would love you for that!” he said, and then led us to a painting just beyond the sculpture with what appears to be the same nude woman reclining in a chair.

What I am after, above all, is expression. Expression, for me, does not reside in passions glowing in a human face or manifested by violent movement. The entire arrangement of my picture is expressive: the place occupied by the figures, the empty spaces around them, the proportions, everything has its share. Composition is the art of arranging in a decorative manner the diverse elements at the painter’s command to express his feelings. In a picture every part will be visible and will play its appointed role, whether it be principal or secondary. Everything that is not useful in the picture is, it follows, harmful. A work of art must be harmonious in its entirety: any superfluous detail would replace some other essential detail in the mind of the spectator. (Matisse, Notes of a Painter)

Perhaps the signature piece of the exhibit demonstrates this process best. The “Large Reclining Nude (The Pink Nude)” is a striking painting with varying patterns, flattened shapes, and brilliant colors. But the composition that Matisse finished in the fall of 1935 was not what the painting looked like in its earlier versions. Matisse photographed the various versions of the painting over a five-month period and sent the prints to his friend Etta Cone as a window into his creative process. When only what was “useful” in the picture remained, the work was complete. Etta Cone snatched up the painting for her collection.

When our private tour was complete, my husband bought me a small Matisse print from the gift shop, and we enjoyed salads, sandwiches, and iced tea in the cafe. But the real gift was the artist, whose commitment to the basics of his art have inspired me in mine.

If you are in the Indianapolis area during the next couple of months, check out Matisse, Life in Color: Masterworks from the Baltimore Museum of Art. The exhibit runs through January 12, 2014.

Browse more art galleries and exhibits

Browse more Literary Tours

Painting (Les toits de Collioure) by Henri Matisse, public domain. Post by Charity Singleton Craig.

______________________

Every Day Poems Driftwood

Buy a year of Every Day Poems, just $5.99

Read a poem a day, become a better poet. In December, we’re exploring the theme Night.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Charity Singleton Craig
Charity Singleton Craig
Charity Singleton Craig is the author of The Art of the Essay: From Ordinary Life to Extraordinary Wordsand co-author of the popular title On Being a Writer: 12 Simple Habits for a Writing Life That Lasts. She has served as an editor, contributing writer, and workshop leader for Tweetspeak Poetry and currently writes for corporate clients and publications such as Edible Indy. She is also a two-time recipient of the Arts in the Parks and Historic Sites Grant from the Indiana Arts Commission and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, to write about the state parks and present writing programs to park visitors.
Charity Singleton Craig
Latest posts by Charity Singleton Craig (see all)
  • Grammar for a Full Life Book Club: On Becoming Less Possessive - June 16, 2021
  • Grammar for a Full Life Book Club: Chilling Out on the Grammar Rules - June 9, 2021
  • Grammar for a Full Life Book Club: A Passive Voice - June 2, 2021

Filed Under: Art, Art Galleries and Exhibits, Indiana Tour, Regional Tour

Try Every Day Poems...

About Charity Singleton Craig

Charity Singleton Craig is the author of The Art of the Essay: From Ordinary Life to Extraordinary Words and co-author of the popular title On Being a Writer: 12 Simple Habits for a Writing Life That Lasts. She has served as an editor, contributing writer, and workshop leader for Tweetspeak Poetry and currently writes for corporate clients and publications such as Edible Indy. She is also a two-time recipient of the Arts in the Parks and Historic Sites Grant from the Indiana Arts Commission and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, to write about the state parks and present writing programs to park visitors.

Comments

  1. Maureen Doallas says

    December 4, 2013 at 10:08 am

    If you ever come to the D.C. area, Charity, do take time for the BAM. It’s a wonderful museum.

    Those Matisse reds and blues are like nothing else. I am especially taken with the Matisse cut-outs.

    Reply
  2. Charity Singleton Craig says

    December 4, 2013 at 2:09 pm

    I would love that, Maureen. I was so impressed with the exhibit. And yes, the cut-outs were particularly charming. I couldn’t fit them into this piece, but I have plans for “Nightmare of the White Elephant.”

    Thanks for your kindness.

    Reply
  3. Laura Brown says

    December 4, 2013 at 10:14 pm

    I think “A Lonely Docent” is the title of a poem waiting to be written.

    Reply
    • Will Willingham says

      December 5, 2013 at 10:23 am

      High on the hill was a lonely docent…

      Reply
      • Monica Sharman says

        December 5, 2013 at 11:04 am

        Never knew I’d associate you with Julie Andrews yodeling. You two go well together, I’d say.

        Reply
        • Will Willingham says

          December 5, 2013 at 7:57 pm

          Pretty sure there’s still no need for that association, Monica. 😉

          Reply
          • Charity Craig says

            December 6, 2013 at 3:49 pm

            I have been waiting for Maureen to write one of her brilliant poems about the lonely docent. Maureen?

        • Charity Craig says

          December 6, 2013 at 4:05 pm

          And I have to say, Monica, I hadn’t picked up on the Sound of Music reference in the other comment til I read yours. Both you . . . just hysterical!

          Reply
  4. Ann Kroeker says

    December 6, 2013 at 4:56 pm

    I love what you saw, Charity! You have a good eye. Have you ever tried making Matisse-inspired art per his cut-out style? That’s a fun project you could do with your boys on winter vacation days, when you’ve finished the puzzles and want to steer them away from screens.

    Reply
  5. Diana Trautwein says

    December 7, 2013 at 1:57 pm

    What a great report/reflection, Charity. Thank you! I know very little about Matisse and enjoyed reading his words and your response to them. Just terrific.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Take How to Read a Poem

Get the Introduction, the Billy Collins poem, and Chapter 1

get the sample now

Welcome to Tweetspeak

New to Tweetspeak Poetry? Start here, in The Mischief Café. You're a regular? Check out our May Menu

Patron Love

❤️

Welcome a little patron love, when you help keep the world poetic.

The Graphic Novel

"Stunning, heartbreaking, and relevant illustrations"

Callie Feyen, teacher

read a summary of The Yellow Wallpaper

meet The Yellow Wallpaper characters

How to Write Poetry

Your Comments

  • Glynn on World War II Had Its Poets, Too
  • Sandra Fox Murphy on World War II Had Its Poets, Too
  • Glynn on Poets and Poems: Kelly Belmonte and “The Mother of All Words”
  • Bethany R. on Poets and Poems: Kelly Belmonte and “The Mother of All Words”

Featured In

We're happy to have been featured in...

The Huffington Post

The Paris Review

The New York Observer

Tumblr Book News

Stay in Touch With Us

Categories

Learn to Write Form Poems

How to Write an Acrostic

How to Write a Ballad

How to Write a Catalog Poem

How to Write a Ghazal

How to Write a Haiku

How to Write an Ode

How to Write a Pantoum

How to Write a Rondeau

How to Write a Sestina

How to Write a Sonnet

How to Write a Villanelle

5 FREE POETRY PROMPTS

Get 5 FREE inbox poetry prompts from the popular book How to Write a Poem

Shakespeare Resources

Poetry Classroom: Sonnet 18

Common Core Picture Poems: Sonnet 73

Sonnet 104 Annotated

Sonnet 116 Annotated

Character Analysis: Romeo and Juliet

Character Analysis: Was Hamlet Sane or Insane?

Why Does Hamlet Wait to Kill the King?

10 Fun Shakespeare Resources

About Shakespeare: Poet and Playwright

Top 10 Shakespeare Sonnets

See all 154 Shakespeare sonnets in our Shakespeare Library!

Explore Work From Black Poets

About Us

  • • A Blessing for Writers
  • • Our Story
  • • Meet Our Team
  • • Literary Citizenship
  • • Poet Laura
  • • Poetry for Life: The 5 Vital Approaches
  • • T. S. Poetry Press – All Books
  • • Contact Us

Write With Us

  • • 5 FREE Poetry Prompts-Inbox Delivery
  • • 30 Days to Richer Writing Workshop
  • • Poetry Prompts
  • • Submissions
  • • The Write to Poetry

Read With Us

  • • All Our Books
  • • Book Club
  • • Every Day Poems—Subscribe! ✨
  • • Literacy Extras
  • • Poems to Listen By: Audio Series
  • • Poet-a-Day
  • • Poets and Poems
  • • 50 States Projects
  • • Charlotte Perkins Gilman Poems Library
  • • Edgar Allan Poe Poems Arts & Experience Library
  • • William Blake Poems Arts & Experience Library
  • • William Shakespeare Sonnet Library

Celebrate With Us

  • • Poem on Your Pillow Day
  • • Poetic Earth Month
  • • Poet in a Cupcake Day
  • • Poetry at Work Day
  • • Random Acts of Poetry Day
  • • Take Your Poet to School Week
  • • Take Your Poet to Work Day

Gift Ideas

  • • Every Day Poems
  • • Our Shop
  • • Everybody Loves a Book!

Connect

  • • Donate
  • • Blog Buttons
  • • By Heart
  • • Shop for Tweetspeak Fun Stuff

Copyright © 2025 Tweetspeak Poetry · FAQ, Disclosure & Privacy Policy