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Matisse-Inspired Portrait

Students will explore the work of Henri Matisse and create an expressive self portrait.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

Steps

  • Step 1

    Henri Matisse (1869-1954) was a French artist known primarily as a painter, but he was also a printmaker, sculptor, and, toward the end of his career, worked in cut paper collage. Have students view images of some of his work in various fields and note the use of different styles and color palettes. Matisse said the aim of his work was to discover "the essential character of things." Have students look at some of his portrait work. Suggestions include "Self-Portrait" (1900), "Meditating Monk" (1903), "Madame Matisse, The Red Madras Headdress" (1907), "Femme Aux Roses" (1918), "La Lecture" (1947), or any others. How does Matisse capture the mood of the subject? How does he evoke the ambiance of the setting?

  • Step 2

    Have students create a self-portrait that captures their essential character. They might use a mirror to guide them for the general shape of their features and then illustrate themselves in a way that represents the way they're feeling.

  • Step 3

    Have the class display their work without names attached to the images. See if classmates can identify which classmate made each portrait.

Standards

ARTS: Speculate about processes an artist uses to create a work of art. 

ARTS: Describe what an image or performance represents. 

SEL: Self-Awareness: Understand one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior across contexts. 

Adaptations

Have students write a poem or short story about the sentiments their artwork portrays, then display the writing next to the portraits.

Challenge students to create a portrait using the cut paper technique Matisse used in the latter part of his career.