Matisse's Serpentine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Matisse's Serpentine - Essay Example The essay "Matisse's Serpentine" discusses Henri Matisse and his art. Matisse explained in 1947 when referring to the effect his painting had on being a sculptor. The tension between a three-dimensional sculpture and a two-dimensional image freed him to interpret and invent bodily form. In the process, he limited the flesh and increased the space between arms and legs, magnetizing the viewer’s gaze to the negative space and the smooth counters from varied angles. These elongated limbs and â€Å"linear, sinuous contours† are depicted in his Dance paintings and helped define The Serpentine. The Serpentine is currently on display at the Museum of Modern Art. After seeing the sculpture on the Internet, the enormity of the sculpture is overwhelming. When approaching The Serpentine at the museum, it is at eye level. The black of the sculpture is contrasted by a white base. The sculpture is a nude woman with her right arm behind her back and crossed legs leaning against a balu strade with her finger on the lips. The image reminds one of a supermodel, with extremely thin elongated arms and legs, complimented by curvaceous hips and long hair. There is a slight bored smile on the nude woman’s face, but inviting as well. The Serpentine evokes emotions of envy, desire to be like her, and awe. Surprisingly, unlike other sculptures with smooth textures, The Serpentine has a rough texture. Lines and indents make up the whole sculpture. It appears like Matisse awoke one morning and made a large clay model in the span of a day.