Festival of Flowers, Nice (Fête des fleurs), 1923
Henri Matisse (French, 1869-1954)

A founder of the fauve movement, Henri Matisse left Paris for southern France after being declared unfit for military service in 1917. He then adopted a relaxed, cheerful style saturated with the warm colors of the Mediterranean. One of at least five versions of the subject, this scene depicts the view from the balcony of Matisse’s room in the Hôtel de la Meditérranée overlooking the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. Depicted on the balcony are Matisse’s daughter Marguerite and his model Henriette, who presumably will toss their flowers to the participants in the parade below.