Fauvism by Henri Matisse

Woman with a Hat:

First exhibited at the 1905 Salon d'Automne in Paris, this work was at the center of the controversy that led to the christening of the first modern art movement of the twentieth century — Fauvism. 

Femme au chapeau marked a stylistic change from the regulated brushstrokes of Matisse's earlier work to a more expressive individual style. His use of non-naturalistic colors and loose brushwork, which contributed to a sketchy or "unfinished" quality, seemed shocking to the viewers of the day.

The artist's wife, Amélie, posed for this half-length portrait. She is depicted in an elaborate outfit with classic attributes of the French bourgeoisie: a gloved arm holding a fan and an elaborate hat perched atop her head. Her costume’s vibrant hues are purely expressive, however; when asked about the hue of the dress Madame Matisse was actually wearing when she posed for the portrait, the artist allegedly replied, "Black, of course."

 Madras Rouge:

This painting is called the Madras Rouge and features a lady wearing a red madras headdress. The lady is sitting down and her body is slightly slouched to her left. The lady’s left arm overlaps her right arm, and she also has a sort of yellow pattern applied to her headdress. The lady's gown is black and is patterned with brown flowers. This painting has been specially converted into vector format, meaning that it can be scaled without losing quality.