Studio Interior
- Artist: Henri Matisse
- Date: c.1903–4
- Medium: Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions: support: 550 x 460 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
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About this artwork
This is the “Studio Interior” by Henri Matisse. It was painted around 1903–04 and captures a corner of his Paris apartment at 19 Quai St. Michel, where he lived from 1899 to 1907. The scene is a quiet domestic tableau: a wooden cupboard holds a small table, a vase of flowers, a jug, a glass with a long spoon, and a lemon—classic still‑life elements that were Matisse’s go‑to subjects in this period. Above the wardrobe, casts of his own sculptural experiments sit, hinting at the artist’s simultaneous engagement with life drawing and sculpture classes. Light pours in from a high window, illuminating the room with a mix of muted walls and sharp, bright accents. The palette and brushwork foreshadow the brighter, more vibrant style he would later embrace, but here it is still restrained, with careful attention to form and composition. It was exhibited in the 1904 Salon d’Automne, signalling its importance to the young artist’s early career.
See it in person
Studio Interior is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
