Omnibus: Henri Matisse
BBC2, Saturday, May 18, 6.30-8.10pm
As the MatissePicasso exhibition opens (see above), the lesser-known of the two artists is the subject of a double edition of Omnibus. Few modern painters seem to have put so little of their own lives into their work; the paintings - with titles that refer to the joy of life, harmony, music and dance - often contradict what was happening to the painter, whose existence was anything but jolly. While the work was revolutionary, the man deliberately adopted the manner and appearance of an unobtrusive bourgeois (in contrast to Picasso, who aspired to look working-class). This film offers the usual array of postcards and talking heads, with good archive film and illuminating commentary.
ROBIN BUSS