Lemons and Bottle of Dutch Gin

Lemons and Bottle of Dutch Gin, painted by Henri Matisse in 1896, is an important oil on canvas work marking the artist’s early stylistic development. This still life piece, created during the period Paris early 1896, precedes the artist’s groundbreaking shift toward Fauvism and demonstrates the technical rigor of his academic training.

The composition centers on the eponymous objects: several vivid lemons scattered across a surface and a distinct bottle of Dutch Gin, likely placed within a domestic interior. At this stage in his career, Matisse was intently studying the techniques of Old Masters and Post-Impressionists alike, focusing on modeling form through tone and precise observation rather than the broad, flattened color fields that would later define his style. The French still life tradition provided Matisse with an opportunity to explore the visual weight and textural qualities of everyday objects. The surface of the canvas shows careful brushwork dedicated to capturing the sheen of the bottle's glass and the varying textures of the citrus fruit skins.

As a formative example of Matisse’s oeuvre, this painting provides crucial documentation of the evolution of one of modern art's most influential masters. While it may not share the widespread recognition of his later, more abstract works that are often reproduced in high-quality prints, the painting serves as a foundational bridge between 19th-century academic methods and the nascent energies of Modernism. Although many of Matisse’s later works have entered the public domain, this early composition is vital for understanding the classical underpinnings of his aesthetic. The work is held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it represents the early career of the artist before his revolutionary contributions to 20th-century painting.