Henri Émile Benoît Matisse [1869-1954] French painter, sculptor, draughtsman, printmaker and designer, one of the most illustrious artists of the 20th century.
From the 1920s he enjoyed an international reputation alongside Picasso as the foremost painter of his time.
Unlike Picasso, he was a late starter in art, and he was not quite so prolific or versatile, but for sensitivity of line and beauty of colouring he stands unrivalled among his contemporaries.