Talking Points: Matisse Cut Outs

Video and sources to help you explore cut outs by Matisse.

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Painting with Scissors: Cut Outs by Matisse

Enjoy the videos below to understand what we Matisse meant by “Painting with Scissors” and to understand how revolutionary his cut outs were at the time. 

The video below is an animation made using cut outs by Matisse, animated by Beatriz Rosa. 

Questions to Ask Children

How do you think the size of the scissors matisse used affected the artwork he created?

Do you think Matisse drew on the paper first before he cut the shapes out?

Do you think Matisse had a “plan” in his head when he picked up coloured paper and scissors?

Matisse was old and ill when he made the cut outs. Can you tell that from the energy of the work? 

How big would you like to work? 

What do you think Matisse would have thought about the animation made by Beatriz Rosa? 

This Talking Points Is Used In...

using sketchbooks to make visual notes

Show me what you see