“Still Life with Lemon” is an artwork by Henri Matisse, completed in 1917. This still life embodies a genre that captures the arrangement of inanimate objects, allowing the artist to focus on color, composition, and light. Matisse, known for his bold use of color and innovative contributions to modern art, presents a simplistic yet compelling composition in this work.
The artwork showcases a lemon alongside a glass of water, both resting on a white cloth that is draped over a surface. The background is rendered in a muted, earthy tone that contrasts with the objects on display. The brushwork suggests a sense of immediacy and spontaneity, a characteristic that complements the fleeting nature of the still life subject matter. Matisse’s signature is visible at the lower right of the canvas, confirming the authenticity and his personal touch to the piece. Overall, the artwork encapsulates an intimate moment in time, an everyday scene elevated to the status of fine art through the painter’s deft execution.