The artwork, “Woman with a Green Parasol on a Balcony,” is an oil on canvas painting created by Henri Matisse in 1919. It belongs to the Expressionism movement and can be categorized as a genre painting. The dimensions of the artwork are 66.5 cm in height and 47 cm in width. Currently, it is part of a private collection.
In the artwork, a woman is depicted seated on a balcony, holding a green parasol. She appears relaxed, with one leg crossed over the other, as she looks out towards the viewer. The balcony overlooks a serene seascape, with just a hint of coastal geography in the distance beneath a broad expanse of sky. The lines used to define the woman and the objects around her are bold and somewhat abstracted, aligning with Matisse’s expressionist approach that prioritizes emotional representation over realistic portrayal. A striking feature of the painting is the use of vivid and contrasting colors—the blues of the sky and the sea, the green of the parasol, and the yellows of the structural elements—that create a harmonious yet vibrant composition. The brushstrokes suggest movement and add to the dynamism of the scene, as does the slightly off-kilter perspective, which invites a sense of immediacy and intimacy with the subject. Matisse’s use of color, shape, and form within this artwork exemplifies his expertise in capturing the essence of the moment, as well as his contribution to the development of modern art.
