Interior, Flowers and Parakeets

Matisse has filled this work with textiles and forms that seem to recall his travels to Morocco in 1912-13. The yellow table-covering leads the eye across the canvas framing a collection of items, two lemons, a teacup and a bright vase with pink blooms that resemble tufts of smoke. Resting at the far end of the table is a gilded cage with two vivacious green forms of the parakeets that are pure color and energy not contained by line. The depth of this work contrasts with the majority of Matisse’s interior, the eye is drawn back to the harsh linear pattern of the floor tiles and the bright blue of the back room. These elements pull the viewer into the work while the varied patterns encourage the eye to wander.

Original Medium: oil on canvas

Original Size: 46 x 28 5/8 in.

Date: 1924

Location: Baltimore Museum of Art