Image Essay 5

The figure in Henri Matisse’s Blue Nude is a negative shape. There is a figure/ground reversal in this piece. The viewer can see the negative shape of the body but there is also shapes being formed in the background by that figure. The nude figure has a very curvilinear shape and is asymmetrical. The figure is taking up most of the space on the page but is not confined to the edges. The body’s foot extends off the page and the arm that is going above the head also looks cut off at the top of the page. Because of the way the negative shape is placed on the page, the viewer’s eye moves very well around the whole composition. The eye can start from the right hand corner where the foot is, following the flowing lines of the legs, then up to the face and around the arm and back down the other arm. This piece is very interesting to look at and the viewer does not miss anything on the page. The body is very abstract and the blue color makes the negative shape stand out from the positive shapes that are formed.