- declared that he wanted his art to be one "of balance, of purity and serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter,"
- used pure colors and the white of exposed canvas to create a light-filled atmosphere in his Fauve paintings
- was heavily influenced by art from other cultures
- was important in endorsing the value of decoration in modern art
- human figure was central to Matisse's work both in sculpture and painting
- his use of color and his fluid and original draughtsmanship