Henri Matisse’s “Still Life with Pineapple,” created in 1924, is a notable example of the Fauvism movement, characterized by its vivid colors and fluid brushwork. As with many still life compositions, the genre focuses on inanimate objects, inviting the viewer to contemplate their form, texture, and the artist’s technique in representing them.
The artwork depicts a collection of objects arranged on a circular tray which occupies the foreground of the composition. A ripe pineapple, its textured skin rendered in shades of orange and yellow, asserts itself as the central figure of the piece. It is surrounded by other elements of still life: citrus fruits, whose bright colors provide a contrast to the green of the pineapple leaves, and a small white bottle decorated with floral motifs that echo the larger blossoms in the background. Notably, the background features a decorative element with large red flower patterns, which are again suggestive of the lush, tropical feel that the fruit in the foreground communicates. The brushwork is visibly loose and expressive, with less focus on precise detail and more on the interplay of bold colors and shapes, quintessential of the Fauvist style.
