Bathers with a Turtle

This painting shows three women and a turtle by the water. The artist used very bright colors that don't look real.

What do you see?

You see three women in a landscape with water and a turtle. The women are relaxing, maybe bathing or just enjoying the outdoors. The colors are very bright and not realistic—the women's skin is orange, the water is pink, and the shadows are blue. The turtle is small and dark, near one of the women's feet.

Look closely

What colors do you see on the women's bodies? Are they real skin colors?
The turtle is very small compared to the women. Why do you think Matisse made it that way?
Look at the background. Is it a real place or an imaginary one? How can you tell?
The shapes are simple. Can you find any lines that are not straight?
How does the painting make you feel? Happy? Calm? Excited?

Style and technique

This painting is an example of Fauvism, an art style from early 1900s France. Fauvist artists like Matisse used wild, bright colors straight from the tube. They didn't try to make things look real. Instead, they used color to express feelings. Matisse also simplified the shapes of the women and the landscape, making them look almost like flat patches of color.

Feeling

The painting feels happy and energetic. The bright colors and simple shapes make it look like a joyful day at the beach. Matisse wanted to show the pleasure of being outdoors and relaxing with friends.

Connections

Try this

Try drawing a picture of a person using only bright, unnatural colors. Use orange for skin or blue for hair. How does it feel different from using real colors?

Next to find

Find another painting by Henri Matisse. Compare the colors.
Look for a painting that uses realistic colors. Which one do you like more?
Find a sculpture of a person. How is it different from a painting?

带有乌龟的浴者

这幅画展示了三个女人和一只乌龟在水边。艺术家使用了非常鲜艳的颜色，看起来不像真的。

你看到了什么？

你看到三个女人在风景中，有水有乌龟。她们在放松，也许在洗澡或只是享受户外。颜色非常鲜艳，不真实——女人的皮肤是橙色的，水是粉色的，阴影是蓝色的。乌龟很小，是深色的，靠近其中一个女人的脚。

仔细看

你在女人身上看到什么颜色？是真实的肤色吗？
乌龟比女人小很多。你觉得马蒂斯为什么这样画？
看背景。这是一个真实的地方还是想象出来的？你怎么知道的？
形状很简单。你能找到不直的线条吗？
这幅画让你感觉如何？快乐？平静？兴奋？

风格与技巧

这幅画是野兽派的例子，这是20世纪初法国的一种艺术风格。野兽派艺术家如马蒂斯使用直接从颜料管挤出的狂野、鲜艳的色彩。他们不试图让事物看起来真实。相反，他们用色彩表达情感。马蒂斯还简化了女人和风景的形状，使它们看起来几乎像平坦的色块。

感受

这幅画感觉快乐而充满活力。鲜艳的色彩和简单的形状使它看起来像在沙滩上快乐的一天。马蒂斯想展示户外活动和与朋友放松的乐趣。

关联

试试这个

试着只用鲜艳、非自然的颜色画一个人。用橙色画皮肤，或用蓝色画头发。与使用真实颜色相比，感觉有什么不同？

接下来找什么

找另一幅亨利·马蒂斯的画。比较颜色。
找一幅使用真实颜色的画。你更喜欢哪一幅？
找一个人物雕塑。它与绘画有什么不同？

Bathers with a Turtle带有乌龟的浴者