... understand his work in progress well enough to know when it was done to his own satisfaction; polish was not a prerequisite for a good painting. Henri warned his students against the pitfalls of excessive competitiveness: it would damage their integrity. "Art is art," he said, "whether on a canvas, on ... it was acceptable to apply pigment liberally, in heavy brilliant strokes and bands; the artist could absorb and break apart realistic images and, as Matisse himself put it, thereby "construct [a painting] by colored surfaces." Over the course of several weeks, the two young artists enjo...

• Word Count: 3679
• Approx Pages: 15
• Grade Level: High School