Dance II (1909-1910)

In 1909 Matisse was commissioned by a wealthy Russian textiles magnate called Sergei Shchukin to produce two large decorative panels to adorn his palace in Moscow. This panel, known as Dance II, has become one of the most famous images in modern art.

Although the scene is one of unbridled and almost primal joy, critics at the time found the canvas ugly and barbaric. But this experiment in simplification saw Matisse set out the shape of things to come.