Crossroads at Malabai by Matisse in the Brooklyn Museum, March 2010

Crossroads at Malabai (Carrefour de Malabai)

In a departure from the vivid hues of his sun-drenched scenes, Matisse focuses here on the muted earth tones of a light-dappled forest. He renders the angled trees in long brushstrokes in a range of browns, allowing the substantial trunks to taper and dematerialize in lightly sketched, ghostly passages at the top. By contrast, the painter creates a hint of sky by daubing a thick, lightly blended mix of blue and white over the branches and foliage. While using a vertically oriented canvas, Matisse provides a sense of spatial recession with a path punctuated by pools of light.

Artist: Henri Matisse, French, 1869-1954

Medium: Oil on canvas

Place Made: France

Dates: ca. 1916

Dimensions: 24 1/8 x 15 1/8 in. (61.3 x 38.4 cm) Frame: 31 x 22 in. (78.7 x 55.9 cm)

Signature: Signed lower left: "Henri Matisse"

Collections: European Art

Museum Location: This item is on view in Beaux-Arts Court, South, 3rd Floor

Accession Number: 67.24.16

Credit Line: Bequest of Laura L. Barnes

Text from: www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/4796/Crossr...