Painted for the Russian businessman and art collector Sergei Shchukin--intended to be shown as a diptych alongside La Musique--Le Danse is a large decorative panel that originally hung in the staircase of Shchukin's Moscow mansion.
The painting shows five dancing figures in a strong red hue, set against a simplified green landscape and deep blue sky.
La Danse reflects Matisse's incipient fascination with the primitive, Fauvist color palette--the dancing nudes conveying a feeling of emotional liberation. This image is most often associated with the "Dance of the Young Girls" from Igor Stravinsky's infamous ballet, Le Sacre du Printemps.
To wit, Classicalite is pleased to present 10 alternate takes on Henri Matisse's La Danse, care of Brooklyn artist Ross Smirnoff.
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