Polynesia la Mer 1946 — Fine Art

The sea in Polynesia la Mer 1946 sits under a pale sky with blue water broken into separate blocks. Warm greens and soft golds sit against the blue, so the water feels open and quiet. Henri Matisse laid the colour in broad areas rather than fine lines.

The fine art print goes straight onto a nail. A light frame on a dark wall keeps the pale blue and green tones easy to read. The matte paper holds the soft edges without a shine under a lamp. The colours do not fight the blue ground, they sit on it.

It works on a pale wall above a low sofa in a quiet room. From across the room the separate colour blocks read as water and sky. Up close the soft edges and plain ground show the broad painted approach.