The Snail

Henri Matisse's 'The Snail' ('L'Escargot', 1953) is a three-metre gouache-on-paper cut-out made in the final year of the artist's life, when illness confined him to bed. Assistants pasted the coloured shapes at Matisse's direction in a spiralling composition that reduces painting to what he called its 'purest essence' — colour, rhythm, and form. Acquired for Tate in 1962, it is one of the most beloved modern works in Tate Modern.

Exhibition Venue

Tate Modern

London, United Kingdom