Red Fish © Henri Matisse (1911)

Best Interpretation: “Perhaps Matisse was colour-blind. Those fish are actually goldfish which are a vibrant orange in colour. They swim slowly in their glass cylinder, awaiting the return of the old lady who often sits in the white chair for hours every morning. She drinks her tea, tends the potted plants, and talks to the fish. The fish wish they were outside. They dream of an ornamental pond with gently rippling clear blue water. A Japanese bridge spans the pond and a lovely young woman looks down at the fish. The fish grow under her admiring gaze.” -Elizabeth

Issue Apr 2007 Submit an Interpretation (4) Posts »