It is hard to believe that a man coming from a rich background, who later studied law, gave it all up for the “love of art”.
As can be imagined, he felt the askance look of his parents, who probably said in local parlance, “what the heck?!”
Without their blessing he went back to Paris to study art. The magic did not envelop until he was introduced to the works of the now famous Van Gogh, who loved portraits. This became MATISSE’s raison d’tre. He later, had a child with one of his models, got married to an aristocrat, with whom he had several children.
This fascination with the female body form apparently made him popular with women, among whom were the socialite CONE sisters of Baltimore Md., CLARIBEL and ETTA. As MATISSE rose in popularity, he became more than an artist to the CONES, they were friends, so much so that he was invited to Baltimore by the sisters, and it is believed, he generated the attention to that of a rock star visiting the Meyerhoff Concert Hall.
MATISSE is again in Baltimore, starting this month (October 2021) at the BMA.
MATISSEE DIED AT 85, in 1954, at the height of the Jazz era. He was impressed.
Theculturepagedotcom 