Henri Matisse

Henri Matisse was born in 1869 in a small town in northern France. He began his early life studying law and worked as a legal clerk. He began painting when he was 21 while recovering from an illness. From that point he knew that he had a passion for art and wanted to pursue it. In 1891 he moved to Paris for artistic training. His work is recognized by his emphasis in line, emotion, brushwork, and bright colors. This style would be known as Fauvism which was prior to Cubism.