Artwork
Pink Statuette and Jug on a Red Chest of Drawers
Pink Statuette and Jug on a Red Chest of Drawers is an oil painting by the Fauvist artist Henri Matisse. It dates from 1910 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
The painting is a still life, which means it shows everyday objects that aren't moving.
This painting is called Pink Statuette and Jug on a Red Chest of Drawers. It was made by Henri Matisse in 1910. The painting is a still life, which means it shows everyday objects that aren't moving.
Matisse was a French artist who liked to experiment with colors and shapes. He often used simple objects in his still lifes to focus on color and composition. Check out the technique of glazing to learn more about how Matisse created his artwork.
Overview
Henri Matisse completed the oil painting Pink Statuette and Jug on a Red Chest of Drawers in 1910. The work belongs to his early Fauvist period, when he explored vivid, unmodulated color fields. It presents a compact still‑life composition that foregrounds a pink figurine, a ceramic jug, and a red chest of drawers, all rendered with the flat, saturated hues typical of the movement.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas arranges three domestic objects, a pink statuette, a jug, and a red chest of drawers, on a simple tabletop. By isolating ordinary items, Matisse directs attention to their chromatic relationships rather than narrative content. The juxtaposition of pink, white, and red creates a visual tension that emphasizes the painter’s interest in pure color as a structural element.
Technique & Style
Matisse applied oil in broad, flat areas, allowing the pigments to sit unmixed and retain their intensity. The surface shows little blending, a hallmark of Fauvist glazing that preserves the luminosity of each hue. Brushwork remains loose, and outlines are minimal, reinforcing a decorative, almost ornamental quality while maintaining a clear compositional balance.
History & Provenance
Created during Matisse’s formative years in Paris, the painting reflects his collaboration with contemporaries such as Pablo Picasso, who were redefining modern art at the time. After its exhibition in early 20th‑century salons, the work entered private collections before being acquired by a public institution, where it remains part of the museum’s early modern holdings.
Artist & collection
Artist
Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (French:; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship.
