The Joy Of Life was painted by Matisse between 1905 and 1906. It measured 174*238 cm, which was collected in Merino Barnes Foundation in Pennsylvania, USA. The Joy Of Life was the most important work in Matisse's long art career. This painting was able to show the characteristics of Fauvism than his other works. The flat colors, sinuous lines as well as those original juvenile body shapes showed the higher impact of Gauguin. Even the theme-the life state of people in nature also reminded people of Gauguin's yearning for the ideal life in Tahiti Island. In fact, this painting was directly from Matisse's life near the Spanish border Currie Oijer fishing village in the summer of 1905. It was lingering in Europeans' mind for many centuries and had close relationship with the mysterious paradise-Al Katia that got rid of the ugly and troubles.
In this painting, Matisse described the empty field near Currie Orer forest. The distant view of the painting was the blue sea, close-range beach and grass, dotted with various postures and dynamic human body. The figures in the painting made people remind of the figures in Greek works and Paris people's listless attitude in Seurat's Sunday in Diwan Island. This painting seemed to be made by sketch, but it actually implied the painter's profound understanding of the European ancient traditional motif. Images in this painting were reminiscent of a long list of the banquet scenes of Barkis's carnival under the European painters in-From Benigni, Titian, Rubens Poussin, and then to Watteau and Ingres.
The innovative nature of this painting was the highly simplified image. This painting was full of lyric, reflecting the expressionism of Matisse's paintings. Matisse once said,"For me, the most important is the manifestation." And the so-called performance, he explained, "The performance, in my opinion, is not composed of people's facial expression, not the reflected passion through a strong dynamic motion. The whole arrangement of my paintings is expressive. The position of figures or images, their blank and the proportion all around them all play a role. The so-called composition is the art that arranges various factors to express the emotion and decorative ways with rich meaning." Here, Henri Matisse actually wanted to organize a cheerful emotion painting through the color, line and form. For him, those elements brought him endless pleasure. He wished to bring the pleasing fresh feeling to convey to the audience.
