Apples

“Stop and look at how this painting uses black as a source of light, not shadow. The artist created this still life during World War I, exploring abstraction and vibrant color to sustain the tradition of French painting.”

ABOUT THIS WORK

A vibrant bowl of apples anchors this still life, set against a background of luminous black. The scene is bathed in warm tones from a hidden light source, offset by a striking swath of green. Painted in 1916, at a time when many artists were grappling with the devastation of World War I, this work reflects a period of intense experimentation for the artist. He painted this still life twice, with this version being the more abstract. He challenged himself to use black not as a color of darkness, but as a source of light, pushing the boundaries of traditional painting while contributing to the ongoing tradition of French art.

DETAILS

Artist: Henri Matisse
Date: 1916
Medium: Oil on canvas
Location: Art Institute of Chicago
Dimensions: 116.5 × 89.5 cm (45 7/8 × 35 3/16 in.)
Collection: Modern Art
Culture: France
Credit line: Gift of Florene May Schoenborn and Samuel A. Marx

ART MOVEMENTS

Fauvism Impressionism Neo-Impressionism Post-Impressionism

LOOK CLOSER

What to Notice

Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The way the black background seems to glow, not recede.

The bold green stripe that cuts across the warm tones.

The simplified, almost geometric forms of the apples and bowl.

The subtle variations in the red and yellow of the fruit.

AUDIO DEEP DIVE

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THE ARTIST

Henri Matisse

1869–1954 · France

Henri Matisse, a master of color and form, moved from law to art after an appendicitis recovery, becoming a defining figure of 20th-century modern art.

Read Matisse’s full story

Further Works by Matisse

Still Life with Geranium 1906 · Art Institute of Chicago

Bathers by a River 1909 · Art Institute of Chicago

Laurette with a Cup of Coffee 1916 · Art Institute of Chicago

Interior at Nice 1919 · Art Institute of Chicago

Woman before an Aquarium 1921 · Art Institute of Chicago

Woman on Rose Divan 1921 · Art Institute of Chicago

Lemons on a Pewter Plate 1926 · Art Institute of Chicago

Daisies 1939 · Art Institute of Chicago

EXPLORE THE MOVEMENT

More works to explore

Beyond Matisse and Post-Impressionism: works from the same years, and from the other movements Apples belongs to.

Same movement · Fauvism Landscape at L'Estaque Georges Braque · 1906 · Art Institute of Chicago

Same era · 1900s–1930s Lozenge Composition with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red, and Gray Piet Mondrian · 1921 · Art Institute of Chicago

Same movement · Impressionism Still Life: Wood Tankard and Metal Pitcher Paul Gauguin · 1880 · Art Institute of Chicago

Same era · 1900s–1930s The Red Tower in Halle Ernst Ludwig Kirchner · 1915 · Museum Folkwang

Same movement · Impressionism After the Bullfight Mary Cassatt · 1873 · Art Institute of Chicago

Same era · 1900s–1930s Bull's Head Mikhail Larionov · 1913 · Tretyakov Gallery

Same movement · Impressionism A Turn in the Road Alfred Sisley · 1873 · Art Institute of Chicago

Same era · 1900s–1930s The Lineman Ivan Puni · 1927 · Art Institute of Chicago