Matisse and Modernisms

3 units

Certain artists generate enormous interest during their lifetimes and long after. Over time, the work of such artists is subjected to a variety of interpretive approaches in light of changing trends in art criticism and art history; the influence of contemporary art; the ebb and flow of interest in different aspects of the artist's production; changes in the political landscape; and the changing sense of how the artist's work intersects with contemporary cultural developments. This set of intersecting concerns is especially fluid in the modern period, when there is no single dominant idea of the role of art in society. The variety of interpretive strategies developed from and applied to the work of Henri Matisse demands a critical reading of the extensive literature on the artist as well as an understanding of the variety of modernisms through which to assess his artistic project. Students will gain a thorough familiarity with the work of one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, and they will engage aspects of the historiography of 20th-century art through a survey of developments in the Matisse literature. Prerequisites: L01 113 or L01 215, or permission of instructor. One 300-level course in Art History preferred.