Matisse

Since my return from the Alpujarra I have had a continuously busy, or rather occupied, week. It's been fun and I'm finally understanding my friends who have a full, exhausting sounding schedule. If you don't have time to be tired, then you don't get tired, basically.

But this week has been filled with fun events too and time to contemplate and plan my next several semesters of university education.

On Tuesday I went with a small group of ISA students to a free exhibition of Matisse in the Alhambra, technically El palacio de Carlos V (Granada was the capital of spain for about a year when the king came here to get married). No biggie, famous painters are displayed in this historic fortress all the time. It's a daily occurence here in Granada. I can't say I was very familiar with Matisse before going to this exhibit, but I was extremely pleased with what I saw. I love the way he used colors in his works, the soft lines, and our amazing guide pointed out all of the inlfuences of the Alhambra, Granada and Morroco that he included in almost every one of his works.

You see, Matisse was first inspired to visit Granada and the Alhambra when he saw a few photos of the Arab palace in a museum in Germany. He traveled for months across Spain, picking up various exotic pieces of fabrics and porcelains, suffering an illness only to spend 3 days in Granada and 1 day at the Alhambra 100 years ago this month (we know this from his signature in the guest book or Libro del oro that the Alahmbra has). Aunque/though it was such a short time, he was enchanted by this city and it haunted him till the day he died. In every work there is at least one bit of Arabic design, one print of a granada (pomegranate), a piece of ceramic or fabric he collected while in the southern part of spain and in morroco. He dressed his wife and daughter up in the style of the spanish doña, with the giant hair comb and manta or large shawl. Our guide told us that Matisse was fascinated by the exotic and it was evident in his works - Southern Spain, Morroco, Asia and Africa.

The best part about this exhibition in my opinion, besides being free, was that the pieces that Matisse saw on his visit to the Alhambra and that show up in his works were on display right along with his paintings and drawings. Our guide would describe a piece of ceramic or textile that Matisse had bought that was on display, then point out how he drew or painted it into his works. There were vases and chess sets that he saw in the Alhambra, that we saw displayed that were in his obras (works). I really enjoyed the exhibit and am so happy I had the chance to see it. And I want to proudly admit that I signed my name in the guest book, just in case one day I become famous and a museum curator happens to discover I visited the Alhambra, there might be a show for me!

(we weren't allowed to take photos, but here is one of us outside the palace by the sign for the exhibition!)