| The Snail | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Artist | Henri Matisse |
| Year | 1953 |
| Medium | Gouache on paper |
| Location | Tate Gallery, London |
| Dimensions | 112 3⁄4 in × 113 in |
| 287 cm × 288 cm | |
| Famous Paintings by Henri Matisse | |
| L’Atelier Rouge, 1911 | |
| The Conversation, 1912 | |
| Woman Reading, 1894 | |
| The Dance, 1909 | |
| The Snail, 1953 | |
| Green Stripe, 1905 | |
| Beasts of the Sea, 1950 | |
| The Open Window, 1905 | |
| Woman with a Hat, 1905 |
The Snail by Henri Matisse was painted from 1952 to 1953. It’s 287 by 288 cm and is currently being displayed at the Tate Gallery in London.
Background
Matisse was a painter until 1950, when his arthritis created too much pain while painting. This is when he moved to paper cutout artwork instead. The Snail is one of the last pieces he did before his death.
Appearance
This collage is made with colorful pieces of paper that were pigmented with gouache. Matisse then cut these pieces and pasted them onto a bottom white paper. There is a choppy orange border around the white base paper and then different colored shapes on the inside. Matisse used the shapes to create a snail-like figure that is going into a spiral pattern. The colors that are seen include: light/dark purple, light/dark green, red, blue, light/dark orange and black. The white on the background can also be seen in between the spaces of shapes.