Periwinkles / Moroccan Garden

Periwinkles / Moroccan Garden is a significant painting created by Henri Matisse in 1912. This complex piece dates from the artist's second intensive trip to Morocco, reflecting the unique atmosphere of the "Tangier, winter-spring 1912" period. The work is considered a vital link in the French painter’s exploration of North African light, color, and interior spaces, themes that profoundly influenced his development toward abstraction.

The medium itself is noteworthy, showcasing Matisse's experimental approach to combining drawing with color. The composition utilizes oil layered alongside visible applications of pencil and charcoal on the canvas, demonstrating the artist's foundational investigation into form and structure before a complete shift to oil saturation. This mixed-media technique provides a nuanced texture, capturing the intimate atmosphere of the garden or courtyard interior referenced in the title. The inclusion of visible graphite lines beneath the paint distinguishes this work from his earlier, flatter Fauvist compositions, emphasizing Matisse’s dedication to descriptive draftsmanship even as he simplified his palette.

The Tangier sojourns deeply influenced Matisse, leading him to a profound shift in his understanding of spatial depth and color theory. The resulting works, including this piece, defined a new era of French modernism focused on simplified forms and emotive color fields. As a key document of his artistic evolution, the painting is highly referenced in studies of early twentieth-century art. This work is part of the esteemed collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. While the original remains preserved in the MoMA collection, high-quality images and prints of the painting are widely available, often through institutional public domain initiatives, allowing broader study of this important masterwork.