Matisse's Bonheur D Avignon

Paul Cézanne was one of the most important painters of the 19th century, influencing and inspiring other artists who would change the course of art history in the following 20th century. His masterpiece The Large Bathers (1906) served as the base both for Matisse’s Bonheur de Vivre (1905-06) and Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907). Despite taking a few fundamental ideas from Cézanne’s work, as well as competing fiercely competing with each other, Matisse and Picasso took completely different directions in their works. Interestingly, Matisse’s Bonheur de Vivre became the most prominent painting of Fauvism. Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, in turn, gave a foundation to the style of Cubism. Let’s look at the connection between the three paintings a bit closer.
The Large Bathers by Cézanne introduced a number of new ideas in art that inspired both Matisse and Picasso. It broke the rules of traditional perspective and set the base for abstraction. It was also the first painting where the human body was adjusted to fit the landscape and not vice versa like in earlier art. Cézanne’s figures are extremely flat and unfinished. Matisse and Picasso took these ideas to the next level. Matisse also put his figures to serve the landscape.
Picasso’s work is especially contrasting. Being Picasso’s competitive response to Matisse’s success, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon contradicted earlier art in every possible sense. Matisse takes a composition idea from Cézanne, incorporates bright colors and flowing lines and created a sensual and passionate scene. Picasso deconstructs both the landscape and the human body, eliminates sensuality and shows an extremely harsh and intense reality. Thus, colorful and sensual Bonheur de Vivre became the masterpiece of Fauvism, while sharp and dramatic Les Demoiselles d’Avignon influenced the beginning of Cubism