December 31, 1869
Henri Emile Benoit Matisse was born in Le Cateau-Cambrésis (northern France) as the son of a grain merchant and druggist.
1882-87
Matisse attended the humanistic high school in Saint Quentin. He is a good student and shows talent in drawing lessons.
1887/88
After graduating from school, Matisse went to Paris. There, in accordance with his father's wishes, he completed a type of short course in law, which he completed with a diploma.
1889
The young lawyer works as an employee in Maitre Duconseil's law office in Saint Quentin. Little occupied by his work, Matisse describes pages of a register intended for the writing of judgments with fables by LaFontaine. When no one notices this, he is convinced of the pointlessness of his legal work. In the morning before starting work, Matisse attends drawing classes at the École Quentin de la Tour, where he seeks refuge from provincial business life.
1890
Matisse falls ill with phlegmitis, which confines him to bed for a whole year. To pass the time, his mother gives him a paint box. Immediately seized with enthusiasm, he copied smaller landscape scenes from color prints.
1892
After his recovery, Matisse, despite his father's objections, broke off his legal career and went to Paris, where he initially lived in poor conditions and attended the Académie Julian. This is intended to prepare him for the École des Beaux-Arts. After failing the entrance exam for the École, he managed to be accepted into Gustave Moreau's studio as an unofficial student. During his training, he copied Philippe de Champaigne, Poussin and Chardin in the Louvre.
1894
Matisse's girlfriend gives birth to his daughter Marguerite.
1895
After the young artist passed the entrance exam for the École des Beaux-Arts on his second attempt, he moved to the Quai Saint-Michel. Matisse now began to paint outdoors. In the summer he traveled to Brittany.
1896
Matisse exhibited four pictures for the first time at the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, two of which were even sold. In the summer he met the Australian painter John Russel in Belle-Ile, who introduced him to Rodin and Pissarro. Under this influence, Matisse became increasingly interested in Impressionism.
1897
He exhibited The Set Table at the Salon de la Nationale and received very bad reviews.
1898
Matisse marries Amélie Parayre. On his honeymoon, on Pissarro's advice, he studied William Turner's pictures in London.
1899
Matisse attends evening classes in sculpture and makes his first sculptures. His son Jean is born.
1900
Due to financial difficulties, Matisse and Marquet painted decorations for the Grand Palais on the occasion of the World Exhibition. His son Pierre was born.
1905
At the Salon d'Automne, Matisse exhibited his pictures with Derain, Marquet, Vlaminck and Rouault, among others. The painters caused great outrage with their impetuous and unforced application of paint. This led to the group of artists being called Les Fauves (the Wild Ones) from now on.
1908
Matisse opened an art school in a former monastery where - until it closed in 1911 - many young artists from various European countries worked.
1911-13
Matisse travels to Moscow to visit Shchukin and studies, among other things, icons. He then traveled to Morocco several times. There he is particularly inspired by the warm colors of the African earth.
1914 At an exhibition in Berlin at the outbreak of the First World War, his pictures were confiscated. Despite reporting to the war effort, Matisse was not drafted.
1917
Matisse went to Nice, where he would return again and again and where he would ultimately spend the rest of his life.
1919-27
Matisse increasingly devoted himself to painting odalisques in various positions. He succeeds in increasing the expressiveness of his painting style through further reduction of the physical, more consistent simplification and use of flat-ornamental structural principles.
1927
Matisse receives the Carnegie International Exhibition in Pittsburgh Prize for Painting.
1930-33
First trip to America and the South Seas: The artist paints the wall decoration La Danse for the Barnes Foundation in Merion. However, due to a misunderstanding, the dimensions of the first version are incorrect, so he has to paint another one - using up his strength.
1941
After a serious intestinal operation in Lyon, Matisse returned to Nice and - despite constant deterioration in health - worked in bed or later in a wheelchair.
1947 The book illustration Jazz is published. It is the highlight of his work with small gouache paper cuts.
From 1948
Start working with large gouache paper cuts.
1948-51
Matisse dedicated himself exclusively to the design of the Notre-Dame du Rosaire monastery chapel in Vence near Nice. In addition to the murals and stained glass windows, he also designs liturgical vessels and vestments.
November 3, 1954
Matisse died after a short agony in Nice and was buried on November 8th in the Cimiez cemetery in a grave donated by the city
