Erika Holmquist-Wall

Interior flowers and parakeets is a view of the studio in the Matisse’s third apartment in Nice. When we look at the painting we see an elaborate Moorish curtain, Moorish mini-North African, Islamic Africa with gold lining that it’s actually been pulled aside to reveal a second light filled studio space beyond. And in the front room there we see a wooden table, he has laid it out with one of his favorite textiles, we see a shiny gold bird cage, there’s two lime green parrots sitting in there, a cup and a saucer. There are two lemons and this wonderful little cloud of pink flowers and a pretty little vase. And in the back studio, you see a beautiful red Persian rug spread out on to this red vibrant red tiled floor, cinnamon colored floor and it leads to a floral screen that’s actually placed in front of a green couch that Matisse used to pose his models. And even further beyond through the window, you see the blue sky and the pale whitewashed buildings of the town below.